


Serendipity

by flying_frappe



Series: RubyLeah Magic AU [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Cryomancer!Leah, Cyromancer!Sarah, F/F, Medieval Magic!AU, Pyromancer!Dia, Pyromancer!Ruby, lmao I'll be adding in other relationship tags later because this is DEDICATED to RubyLeah, other characters aren't listed because spoilers teehee!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:58:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 32,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13215225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flying_frappe/pseuds/flying_frappe
Summary: Inferno Phoenix is a two-person unit of skilled pyromancers that work for Uranohoshi Dynasty. The honorable duo, Ruby and Dia Kurosawa, have been successful in their missions thus far. But when trouble strikes from a mysterious culprit, what lengths will they take to stop an impending disaster?Medieval Magic!AU for RubyLeah.





	1. Kimi no Hitomi o Meguru Bouken (Adventure Over Your Eyes)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! A lot of the character outfits for this AU is based off Regition's Fantasy Aqours Art. Feel free to look at them if you'd like!  
> [YOU/CHIKA](https://www.deviantart.com/regition/art/Reality-Fantasy-vol-2-Are-you-okay-703533371)  
> [INFERNO PHEONIX](https://www.deviantart.com/regition/art/Reality-Fantasy-vol-4-Sisters-710071057)  
> [YOSHIKO/HANAMARU](https://www.deviantart.com/regition/art/Reality-Fantasy-vol-5-Summon-Little-Demon-713314879)  
> [RIKO](https://www.deviantart.com/regition/art/Reality-Fantasy-vol-1-Riko-696705040)  
> [MARI](https://www.deviantart.com/regition/art/Reality-Fantasy-vol-7-Important-memories-717714144)  
> Each chapter is also dedicated to a song from Aqours. The lyrics match up with the plot, so I hope you give that a listen as well.  
> Without further ado, here's the story. Hope you enjoy!

 

_‘Love is the most powerful source of magic within oneself. But magic of this nature can also become their downfall.’_

 

“This is a well-known proverb in the Uranohoshi Dynasty. Though it may sound heartfelt, those who do understand it know it’s a double-edged sword. There are only a handful of individuals that were unfortunate enough to bear the truth behind this meaning, which could only come from a great deal of loss and suffering.

 

The origin of the saying is a warning to its civilians. A legend that brings about harmony after a great misfortune with the nine dragons that each nation was founded upon. Though this has been passed down from the many generations that came before me, I still have no idea what it really means in depth, and how it will change the tides for the future of the Ohara- no, the Uranohoshi Dynasty. I guess, from this kind of mystery, the only way to find out is from facing the impending doom head on.” - Ohara, Mari.

 

* * *

 

The warm sun bathed the kingdom with orange hues, an almost perfect morning in the stark of winter. Spring was coming soon, everyone who favored such weather were already setting up booths in await for the season’s givings. The market was bustling with readily traded goods, and travelers of all species and statuses came far and wide to take look at each of the precious items.

 

This was no exception for the warriors that were posted for duty nearby the kingdom's borders, for several of them bought warm cocoa to keep the high spirits despite the cool, damp morning. Even beggars were given donations from the generous priests and priestesses, though they were sparse and inexpensive.

 

In such occasions, of course, arises inevitable trouble due to the temptation of obtaining even the most common of goods.

 

“You there! Stop!”

 

A young merchant calls out to the thief that stole from her basket, trying to run and catch up but failing. She bends down and grabs a rock, getting ready to hit the man, when suddenly a knight on a horse blocks his path. The merchant watches in awe as the thief surrenders quietly, and walks up to the knight, immediately recognizing the signature sailor ship insignia resting firmly above the knight’s armor.

 

“General You! It’s a pleasure to see you today, as usual!”

 

You takes off her helmet, greeting the merchant- who was also her childhood friend- with a warm salute. “Aye aye! Good to see you doing quite fantastic, Chika-chan. Well, other than your business with this thief of course.”

 

Chika giggles at that, grabbing the three stolen mandarins from the thief and returns them to her basket. As she does this, You gets off of the horse and ties up the convict to one of the horse’s straps. “I owe you one, You-chan. If it weren’t for you I would’ve probably killed this man on accident!”

 

You nervously chuckles, “Now that would have been a sight to see. I’ll be taking this convict to jail then, I’ll see you later!”

 

“Ah, You-chan, wait! What are you planning on doing after this? Are you free? I was wondering because Inferno Phoenix is hosting a performance later tonight.”

 

“Sorry Chika-chan, I’m not. I have to go gather my squadron by tomorrow evening. There’s been word spreading of a small invasion in the town northeast from here, and we’re going to investigate the area for any clues of who did it.”

 

Chika hums, feeling more interested than disappointed by You’s venture. “Do you think it was the Seisen Kingdom striking again? I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re gaining more and more power lately, it has everyone in the village worried that we’ll end up in another-”

 

“Shh! Chika-chan, you need to keep quiet about that or-”

 

“-else people will start worrying even more. Sorry You-chan, I know you’ve told me a hundred times, but it still keeps slipping from my mind.” Chika laughs awkwardly, You just sighs as she puts her helmet on once again. “Please do take more caution next time Chika-chan. I’ll take my leave now.”

 

“Wait!”

 

“What is it now, Chika-chan?”

 

Chika places a couple of mandarins in You’s pouch, almost overfilling it.“Take this as a token of good luck, You-chan. Consider this a gift of thanks from your best friend!”

 

“I won’t be gone that long, only two days at most. I won’t need this much mandarins.”

 

“No take-backs! You can always share them with your little squadron, can’t you?”

 

“Umm… I guess I can.” She wraps up the pouch carefully, making sure none of the mandarins spill out during her trip. “Thanks, Chika-chan.”

 

Chika gives a salute and grins. “No problem! Now you’re all set. Promise to bring me something nice when you come back?”

 

You chuckles and salutes back. “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

Two nights later, the empress receives word of the army’s downfall.

 

“What the hell happened, Riko!?”

 

The advisor tries to muffle Mari’s voice by stuffing a piece bread down her mouth. It was an unsightly gesture, but it was better than the scene that would’ve been caused if she didn’t shut her up now. Riko had to thank that they were sitting on a balcony, unseen by the commoners and guards below. Everyone was captured by the performance of the Inferno Phoenix, which were the Kurosawa sisters.

 

Riko’s focus returns to the choking Mari, who quickly drinks her glass of wine and coughs violently. Despite her struggle, Mari isn’t the slightest mad at her, but seemed rather grateful of the younger girl’s actions. Yoshiko walks up to both of them, ignoring Mari’s coughs, and clears her throat to get her attention.

 

“Emperor Mari, are you ready to hear more information on what happened now?”

 

Mari curses under her breath, it’s obviously directed at her. “Gladly, Yoshiko.”

 

Yoshiko glares at her, but Mari won’t budge to call her by her preferred name, ‘Yohane’. “Well, I received word from one of my little demons-”

 

Riko glares at her, Mari sighs.

 

“Ahem, messenger crows, that You’s squadron had to fall back due to the losses in her forces. Based on her observations, she says she’s sure it wasn’t Saint Snow that caused all the wreckage. None of the town’s markets and churches were ransacked, so the perpetrator destroyed the village blindly.”

 

“So, if it wasn’t Seisen Kingdom’s invaders, then who was it?”

 

Riko goes on where Yoshiko leaves off. “The last we heard from her was from this letter. Yoshiko received it just this morning. We haven’t opened it yet, we were hoping you’d read it first just in case.” Both Mari and Riko have read through You’s letters before. Out of the two, only Mari could really read You’s handwriting.

 

Yoshiko hesitantly gives the crumpled letter to Mari, the contents written in You’s signature handwriting: sloppy cursive.

 

_To whom this may address,_

_If you’ve received my previous messages, you’ll know that I mentioned that the attack on the Hakodate didn’t seem like it was done by any rebels or invaders. The attacker didn’t leave behind any footprints or weapons, but there are lots of ashes, and even some buildings are still burning from golden flames. It’s strange seeing the flames, the intense snow in the area isn’t putting out the fire at all. We’ve tried using snow and water, but the flames still stay in place… Rather, it seems like the flames are consciously attacking my forces._

_The casualty is about two or three, not much since we’ve given up on trying to attack them. We were planning on evacuating the citizens and the injured, but we’ve been cornered. Please contact Emperor Mari for me, hopefully she can find a solution to all of this before things get worse. Something in my gut tells me this is the work of a dragon, there’s no mistaking the color of the flames and the size of the destruction._

_With all due respect,_

_Watanabe, You_

 

Mari furrows her brows out of shock and confusion. A small but audible gasp escapes her.

 

Yoshiko leans on her shoulder, trying to decipher the words within it. “Uh, what’s it saying?”

 

“You is saying the attacker might be a dragon.”

 

Yoshiko gasps and tries to lower her voice. “A dragon?!”

 

Riko muses. “If that's the case, we need to get reinforcements right away… We don’t know if or when that dragon would come back.”

 

“I agree with Riko. I think you should have two squadrons and a couple of sorcerers to back them up.”

 

Mari shakes her head and looks back at the performance. The fire on stage was blinding and powerful, enough to burn down small village if given the signal. The two on stage did it with such elegance and power, it was no wonder that the Kurosawas had the reputation of being the most skilled pyromancers within her kingdom.  

 

“I’ll call in Inferno Phoenix. We need to fight fire with fire.”

 

* * *

 

The winter wind took a particularly strong force the next morning, almost snowing in all of the houses and driving many merchants to close their shops for the day. Ruby felt lucky to be a welcomed guest within the Ohara castle, because that meant she’d be able to eat delicious food and not freeze to death in the cold.

 

The night before made her feel queasy. Her performance outfit wasn’t fit for the weather, but it was necessary so she could remain quick and unharmed in her fireproof clothes. As a result, she ended up feeling she’d get hypothermia when she wasn’t using her powers, and feeling as if she’d entered a sauna when she was.

 

Ruby sneezes, wrapping the fur blanket around her tighter. She hoped that sneeze didn’t mean she was getting a cold soon, that would make her sister angry, and she didn’t want that. She tiptoes over to the fireplace and sits in front of it, lighting its wood with a flick of a flame she created from her finger. The flames spread quickly from its origin, and create an image of a running mouse Ruby brought from her imagination.

 

“Pretty…”

 

Ruby turns to the direction of the noise, a maid with tan-colored hair appears right beside the door. The maid flinches as Ruby’s eyes land on her. “A-ah! I didn’t mean to barge into your room like this… Um, breakfast is ready… Zura.”

 

“Zura?”

 

“Sorry, I have a vocal tic and I can’t help it.”

 

Ruby sinks into the blanket, a reflex that she’d blame on her lack of social interaction and shyness. She averts her eyes to look at the fire instead. “Er, it’s alright. Thank you for telling me… um…?”

 

The maid gives her an amiable smile. “My name is Hanamaru, if you were wondering zura.”

 

“Oh, thank you. For telling me your name and also calling it pretty.” Ruby glances over at the fire, the mouse affectionately waves at Hanamaru. Hanamaru gives it a wave back, as if it were a real animal. “Well, I’ll give you some time to get ready. Breakfast is going to be a bigger feast than usual today, it’s Empress Mari’s treat.”

 

Ruby gets up and politely nods. “Don’t worry, I won’t take long.”

 

The dining hall Ruby and Hanamaru walk to was extravagant, to say in the least. The Oharas were known for their fine taste in luxury, which compared to no other kingdom Ruby had visited. Almost all of the furniture was violet or lavender, while the marble walls were etched with the family’s long history.

 

Ruby walks towards Dia, who appears as composed as always. The only sign of emotion given to her little sister was a quick glare, making her flinch. Dia curls her finger at Ruby, who hesitantly makes her way to her. Dia whispers in her ear with a low voice.

 

“Ruby, why did you bring the guest blanket with you? It’s unsightly.”

 

“But sis, father only gave me a thin tunic. I felt cold.”

 

Dia clicks her tongue. Ruby knows it wasn’t directed at her, but it still made her heart drop nonetheless. She removes her own coat and puts in on Ruby, providing her warmth immediately. “Here, you can take mine. I’ll have a talk with father once we get back. It’s irresponsible of him to think he could train you by putting you through more obstacles like this.” Dia hands over the blanket to Hanamaru, who eyed her in pity before leaving to return the blanket to her room.

 

Ruby sits down, fidgeting at the hem of her sister’s coat. She tries to ignore her own worries and replace it with a level of formality that could at least _try_ to match her sister’s. She sees Mari enter the hall and sits at the edge of the table, wrapping herself in her own fur robe for warmth.

 

“So much for formality.” Dia remarks sarcastically.

 

“Oh Dia, loosen up! You’ve been gone for months so don’t you go on giving me this. Come on, where’s your youthful self I loved and adored?”

 

“She’s most likely gone.”

 

Mari grumbles, she decides to take the first slice of the roasted turkey. “Then I guess there’s no helping it, hm? What have you been up to all these months?”

 

“I’ve been tasked to do missions by the clan’s request. Ruby here has busied herself with her own training and even teaches the clan’s pupils on fire manipulation.”

 

Mari hums. “So what’s up with the performances now?”

 

“Winters in Uchiura have been getting more intense as of late, my father fears our powers would weaken if exposed to too much cold. To preserve our bodies but also train them, we’ve done performances to hone our skills without the dangers and consequences that come with it. Of course, Ruby won’t have to worry about that though.”

 

Ruby notices Mari’s expression shifts from goofy to downcast, but it only happens in a mere second. Was there something the empress was anticipating? Was she disappointed by something Dia said?

 

Mari suddenly cracks a joke about Dia’s chest size, making Ruby dismiss her own thoughts and worry for the safety of the empress in her older sister’s fury.

 

* * *

 

A sharp knock on her bedroom’s door startles Dia awake. Opening it revealed Mari, holding a candle in one hand and an opened letter in another. Mari’s serious expression feels awfully wrong to Dia, it was reserved for grave situations, she hoped her gut was only giving her the wrong idea.

“Dia, we need to talk.”

 

* * *

 

Today was the second day of Ruby’s stay, and this time she made sure she was fully awake long before Hanamaru came to her. She was watching the fireplace again when she heard her sister’s voice through the door, and it didn’t seem like Dia was alone either.

 

“Are you sure about this?” This was a voice she recognized, it was Mari’s.

 

“For the hundredth time Mari, I’m sure of it. I can’t risk the both of us getting stuck in that situation- or anyone else, for that matter. Remember what happened last time, do you think anyone in the right mind would try to face what you told me? I don’t even know how I’m going to fight it alone, but I can try.”

 

“Look, your mission isn’t to face those flame minions. It’s just to hold them off until we could get everyone evacuated, free You’s squadron, and hopefully investigate some more before you leave.”

 

“But seriously, Mari? Those are golden flames we’re dealing with, it still takes me a lot of effort to create blue fire. Yet those things could withstand snow and water…”

 

“Calm down, Dia. Trust yourself on your own skills for once, you’re going to be alright. You still have to take care of your sister, right? If you don’t think you can do it, just think about her.”

 

“You’re right. But just in case I don’t come back, tell her she’s going to inherit my title, okay?”

 

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.”

 

“When is the mission?”

 

“It’ll take a couple hours to get there, so you’re leaving first thing at midnight. I already have a large carriage waiting for you at the kingdom’s north gates. I think it’ll be big enough to contain at least half of You’s army. I’m sorry I can’t provide you with another. It would draw too much attention.”

 

“I’m sure their general would understand.”

 

“Say, Dia. I have one more question for you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“...Are you ready to let your sister be on her own?”

 

There’s a moment of silence before Dia knocks on her door. Ruby ruffles her own hair and rubs her eyes in an attempt to look like she’d just woken up. The knock comes again and this time she answers it. Both Dia and Mari greet her with warm smiles.

 

“H-hi sis, did you come to wake me up?”

 

“Uh… Yes- I mean- technically, but no. I came to tell you that practice is canceled and you’re free to do what you want today. Just don’t get into any trouble, since you’re still a guest in Mari’s castle, alright?”

 

“Why is practice canceled?”

 

“I uh, have to run an errand for Mari-san that no one else can do, so… I won’t be back for a while.” Ruby can tell Dia’s lying. She’s scratching her mole and her eyes are averted from hers, but she plays innocent.

 

“Ah, okay. I’m going to stay in my room so I won’t make any trouble for Mari-san, then.”

 

“That won’t do, Ruby! A girl like you needs to go out and make friends!” Mari’s voice echoes throughout her room.

 

Ruby nervously smiles. “Um, I think I’ll be better off in here instead…”

 

“Well, I’ll probably let Hanamaru-chan come over to visit you then. She’s around your age. Since you guys both are pretty shy, I think you’ll get along nicely.”

 

Ruby glances at Dia for approval, she nods in return. Ruby looks back at Mari and smiles. “I’m okay with it.”

 

“I hope you have fun, Ruby. Oh, and one more thing…”

 

Dia gives her coat to her, Ruby tries her best not to lose her composure right then and there.

 

“Since I’m getting a new coat for this mission, I’m giving you mine. Make sure you wear it instead of that blanket, okay? I’ll be gone for a couple of days at most, so write to father for me. I’m counting on you.”

 

“Got it, sis. I’ll do my Rubesty!”

 

Dia softly chuckles and pats her head. It felt incredibly difficult to muster up a smile, knowing her sister could be in grave danger. But she needed to make sure not to give herself away, or else they won’t let her sneak out for sure.

 

“I’ll see you later then, Ruby.”

 

* * *

 

After a day of reading books with Hanamaru, she was finally able to escape from the kingdom’s watch the moment the maid left her bedroom. Ruby first planned on what she was bringing, the most reasonable items she thought to bring were healing potions, charcoal balls, and explosive pellets. Then she wore her performance outfit (which was the only one that was heat resistant) under many more layers of clothes, and of course, wore her sister’s coat as a finishing touch.

 

Instead of sneaking out of the castle through her bedroom’s door, she creates an exit by melting the window and dropping out. Thankfully, the drop didn’t kill or give her a concussion, but it did land her a couple of bruises that’ll heal in no time.

 

The next step was to find the carriage, which was fairly easy. She was a couple of hours early from her sister’s scheduled departure, so she was certain she wouldn’t bump into her on accident.

 

Using an excess piece of wood she’d broken off of an unused carriage (she makes a mental note to apologize to the owner and compensate for it later), Ruby creates a small compartment for herself to hide in inside of the carriage’s storage.

 

After she finishes, she waits and lies inside the compartment, listening to the sound of the wind howling and the leaves rustling in the trees.

 

* * *

 

Ruby wakes to the sound of a horse’s footsteps and a lot of shaking. She’s instantly hit by a sharp pain in her neck that she’s sure was caused by sleeping in a curled position for too long. She bumps her head as she tries to move into a more comfortable posture, almost yelping before she realized had to keep quiet or else the driver or Dia would hear.

 

A couple of minutes later, the carriage comes to a halt.

 

“We have arrived at last, Madam.”

 

“Thank you. I’ll be taking my leave now. Please be back here in two or three hours maximum, I’ll need all the transportation I can get for the immobilized squadron.”

 

Ruby hears her footsteps as she steps towards the storage compartment, she holds her breath. She only lets it go after she hears the door shut and feel the carriage moving again. She leaves from her hiding place in the carriage and immediately spots Dia. Keeping a safe distance from her older sister, she starts to follow her as she roams around the forest and into the barren town.

 

* * *

 

Dia has got to admit, she’s utterly screwed.

 

Not only does she have to combat in the worst weather possible for a pyromancer, she’s going to have to battle something she’d only encountered once before. Sure, she’s able to defeat a holy knight, three goblins, and seven mages in one mission… but a dragon? Even its golden flames are a mysterious entity to her.

 

Dia’s not exactly uninformed, of course. From her studies, she could gather that a dragon’s flame is the hottest fire there is, and that they are able to summon flame minions that could attack at will. But she also knows that most armies lose two thirds to half of their men fighting just one. And what if… she loses? Who’s going to take care of-

 

She interrupts her thought by slapping herself. It’s wrong for her to assume Ruby would need her, she can take care of herself now.

 

As she walks through the remains of the town’s shrine, she hears a couple of voices in her vicinity. Dia runs to the source and finds a squadron, the remaining soldiers covered in wounds and bruises. “Is this General You’s squadron?”

 

A girl with gray hair stands and salutes her. From what Dia could observe, she had a couple of untended wounds, there were specks of ashes on her armor, her left arm was bandaged, and was she holding… a mandarin?

 

“General You at your service, Kurosawa-san!”

 

Step one of the mission: find and confirm that You’s squadron wasn’t dead, check.

 

“General You, I’m here to escort your knights back to Uranohoshi Kingdom. Please separate them by who you think could walk, and those who can’t.”

 

“Yes ma’am!”

 

The general quickly draws the attention to herself, giving out orders with charisma and inspiring energy despite the hopeless atmosphere. It was impressive that they were able to withstand the force of a dragon and stay alive for as long as they did.

 

 _It’s no wonder Mari chose this kid to be kingdom’s general at such a young age_ , Dia thinks. Flashes of images run through her mind, an indigo-haired girl sporting a ponytail replace the general she was seeing now. It pierces her heart a little, but she keeps a composed face.

 

“Um, Kurosawa-san, why are you staring at me?”

 

Dia blinks, she immediately finds somewhere else to stare, feeling a little self-conscious. “Ah, I apologize for that. You just remind me of a general I once knew.”

 

The general hums in curiosity. “Oh? May I ask which general you’re talking about? I haven’t seen anyone who’s looked like me at all in the kingdom.”

 

Shaking her head, she tries to suppress the urge to smile. “No, I meant you both act similarly to each other. And the general’s name is Kanan, Kanan Matsuura.

 

“Matsuura-san!? I used to look up to her a lot when I was a kid! It’s a shame she’s gone missing, but it seems that no one in the kingdom has been able to find her for three years. It’s a little embarrassing to say this about a person I don’t really know… but I really miss her.”

 

“I miss her too, kid.”

 

The general’s eyes light up. “Ah, I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

 

Dia nods in agreement. “Well then General You, please stay put for now. I’m going to look around and investigate. Maybe I could find clues to help the Empress decipher the attacker’s motive.”

 

The general’s expression turns grave, a stark change from her warm enthusiasm.

 

“Be careful out there, those flames aren’t something to be messed with. If you see one, I do advise you to take the opportunity to run away as quick as you can. Oh, and most of the flames we’ve encountered were east from here.”

 

“Thanks for the tip. If I don’t come back in an hour or so, there will be a carriage waiting in the front gates of the town. Lead your squadron there and they will take you back to Uranohoshi.”

 

“Understood, Kurosawa-san. I wish you good luck.”

 

* * *

 

Entering the town’s main hall, her footsteps against the chilling snow was the only sound that pierced the silence. Dead bodies littered the floor, the dried blood already hidden by the many layers of snow and ashes. It almost made her want to vomit.

 

“Look what the cat dragged in. Sarah, I thought everyone fled from hearing the rumors of a dragon destroying this town.”

 

“Well Leah, I guess the information we were given was wrong.”

 

Turning to the direction of the sound, she finds two young women with magenta eyes that glowed similarly to hers. Glowing, magenta eyes could only mean that the pair standing in front of her was-

 

“Saint Snow.” Similar to Dia and Ruby’s partnership, Saint Snow consisted of two sisters donned the power of legendary beasts that executed orders from the officials of their nation. The only substantial difference was that Saint Snow had become notorious for their gruesome torture methods and unnecessary bloodshed. Dia finds it absolutely revolting.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inferno Phoenix, or rather… half of it. Where’s your little sister?”

 

“It’s none of your business. Were you the ones that destroyed this place, rather than a dragon?”

 

The taller of the two smiles, whether it was a polite smile or a sinister one, Dia couldn’t tell. “Do you really think we’d be that cruel? Of course not. We were sent here as emissaries, and of course, I can’t reveal the purpose of our mission to you.”

 

Dia clicks her tongue. There was a possibility the duo’s mission was to obtain the flames or attack You’s army, two of which would be devastating for the Uranohoshi kingdom.

 

“Well, if you’re going to complete that mission, you’ll have to go through me.”  

         

Leah glares. “Really, in this kind of weather? I’m sure you know who would have the advantage here.”

 

Dia commands a flame to burst from her hand at will, the heat of the fire and newfound adrenaline warming up her entire body. “So be it. I’ll be the winner of this battle.”

 

Sarah hums in amusement. Sharpened shards of ice and its cold vapor escaped from both sister’s hands like miniscule explosion.

 

“We’ll see about that.”

 

* * *

 

If things didn’t look bad then, it certainly did look a lot worse to Ruby now.

 

Despite her sister’s calm demeanor, Ruby was convinced she was slowly losing her stamina. Her movements were delayed, her bursts of fire were growing less steady, and most of all, she was getting hit by the shards.

Just then, she sees Dia lose her footing and land head first in the snow.

 

Ruby recounts the number of items she can use to help her sister, thankfully she brought enough healing potions for the both of them. She looks at the carbon ball in her other pocket, an idea coming to mind quickly.

Ruby gulps. She might get a lot of scolding, but it’ll be worth it.

 

* * *

 

All Dia could feel right now was a dull ache, she thinks it may be the snow that’s numbing her body, or maybe the several pieces of ice sticking out of her cold body. Whichever one works, really.

 

Sarah and Leah walk over to her, Leah carrying a large fragment of ice in hand. “Are you ready to give up?”

 

Dia gives them the most threatening glare she could muster up.

 

 “I guess that’s a no. Leah, go ahead.”

 

Leah gives a nod, she leads the fragment with her hand and-

 

The sound of an object hitting the snow startles Dia, and Leah as well.

 

“LEAH WATCH OUT!”

 

_BOOM!_

 

An explosion erupts right behind Leah, immediately knocking Sarah off her feet. She’d managed to push Leah out of the way, making her drop the ice a few inches away from Dia. Leah quickly runs to her sister, checking for the severity of her injuries. From what Dia could see, she’d suffered a couple of harsh burn marks on the stomach and chest. The biggest wound was on the side of her abdomen, and it was bleeding profusely.

 

Suddenly, something- no, someone picks her up… or tries to, but fails miserably.

 

“Sis, we have to get out of here!”

 

“Huh? Is that you, Ruby?”

 

Ruby looks away, feeling a little guilty. “Um, yes… but there’s no time to explain, here drink this!” She gives Dia a healing potion, which instantly brings back the pain of all the ice shards in her flesh. Dia hisses a little, but drinks more. “We have to leave soon or else-”

 

She nearly gets a heart attack when an ice shard misses her by half an inch. She turns to the direction of the other two, only the younger one was standing.

 

Leah glares at her, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “Were you the one who did this?”

 

Ruby squeaks, Dia internally facepalms.

 

The Leah balls her fists. Many, much larger ice shards emerge from her hands.

 

Dia curls her finger to motion Ruby to come closer. Ruby listens intently.

 

“It seems as if the younger one has lost her temper. Just stay calm and vigilant Ruby, and I know you’ll manage to take her down.” Dia whispers to Ruby.

 

“I know, don’t worry sis. I’ll protect you this time!”

 

If Dia hadn’t been immobilized at the moment, she swears she would’ve hugged her little sister to death right then and there. Instead, she gives her an encouraging smile and a weak thumbs up.

 

“I believe in you Ruby. Now go!”

 

* * *

 

Leah makes the first move and aims a shard directly at Ruby. Though the floor was filled with snow that could immobilize her, she’d luckily stole a pair of winter boots from the Ohara castle (she takes a mental note to compensate the owner of these shoes as well). She dodges it with ease, leaving her time to counterattack.

 

Ruby runs closer to Leah and makes a fire filled kick straight to her face. Her leg connects with the arm Leah used to block her. The steam that emerges from it blinds Ruby for a quick second, but she takes a lucky leap to evade a punch from Leah.

 

Leah aims more ice at Ruby, one manages to scratch her. But no direct pierces so far. Leah curses under her breath. Ruby swings both of her arms in front of her, and with it two flames fired at Leah’s direction. She somersaults to evade it, but she hisses when she feels a part of her leg getting burnt.

 

Leah clicks her tongue and forms an ice shard around her arm to create a blade. She sprints to Ruby to stab her, she only barely manages to move away, and stumbles instead. Leah smirks.

 

“NOW I’VE GOT YOU!”

 

She yells and tries to swing it at Ruby, but Ruby quickly ducks and kicks Leah’s legs, knocking her off her feet. Leah attempts to get back up and fight, but she’s met with fire nearly touching her face.

 

Ruby summoned a ball of fire pointed right on Leah’s heart, but doesn’t fire it.

 

Leah’s face flushes with shame when she realizes Ruby is sparing her. She glares at the other girl. “You beat me, finish it up already.”

 

Ruby pauses for a few seconds, then lowers her arm, keeping the ball of flame still in her hands. Leah interprets this hesitation as an opening. She takes her chances with the fire and pounces on Ruby, pinning her down on both arms.

 

Leah’s icy hands and Ruby’s scorching arms start to create steam, damping their hair and clothes. She raises one arm and it begins to form her ice sword once again. Ruby’s arms are in flames now, and though it hurts, Leah still keeps holding her arm down.

 

“I’ll make you pay for what you did to my sister.”

 

“If you strike me I’ll burn the both of us. It’s a stalemate, either way.”

 

“Even so, I’ll-” Ruby puts her palm against Leah’s mouth, it’s warm, rather than scorching. Leah’s too shocked to react.

 

“Wait, I think I hear something.”

 

Leah’s “Eh?” is muffled by Ruby’s palm. Right then, she hears it.

 

Dull thuds coming from the forest were growing louder, the two stare at each other once more. Leah pitches in first. “Okay, we’ll call it a stalemate for now, because whatever that thing is, it’s huge.”

 

Ruby nods her head, but Leah keeps her pinned. She pats Ruby’s coat down- making Ruby squeak in surprise- and grabs a healing potion from her coat’s inner pocket. “Let me just get this first.”

 

When Leah lets her go, both of them run over to their sisters to check on how they were faring. Leah immediately lets her sister drink the potion and it only takes a moment before Sarah’s eyes open once again. Leah sighs in relief. “Thank god, you’re still alive.”

 

Sarah gives her little sister a grin. “Of course I am, I wouldn’t be a good sister if I weren’t. So, what’s the plan?”

 

“Just run before whatever’s making that noise comes out.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

The Kazuno sisters look up to see the Kurosawas, as battered and injured as they were. “Ah, is that your sister? That surprise attack was pretty good, I’ve got to admit.”

 

Ruby looks to the floor. “Th-thank you.”

 

Dia sighs in frustration. “Now’s not the time to get well acquainted with one another!”

 

Another thud resounds in the forest, following a low rumble and sounds of fire burning. Leah swears she sees a faint light in the distance. “Okay, time to get out of here.” She turns to Dia. “Kurosawa-san, please help me carry my sister. She can’t move her legs… I’ll let you capture us, when all of this is over.”

 

Dia doesn’t respond. Leah bites her lip out of frustration and bows to Dia’s feet.

 

“Please.”

 

The older girl sighs and picks up Sarah piggyback style. Leah picks up her cape, but Sarah tells her to put it on instead. “Fine. But if you dare try to escape, we’re going to kill you for real.”

 

Sarah grins. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

 

* * *

 

Since the only way back to the shrine where You’s squadron was is in the forest, they tried to move swiftly and run away from the resounding thuds. Ruby can tell whatever was heading for them was drawing nearer, and the fact that all four of them weren’t in shape for combat made the situation grave.

 

In order to make use of the time and calm her nerves down, Dia starts interrogating Sarah. Sarah protests at first, but realizes she’s not in a position to question the brunette.

 

“Sarah, what was Saint Snow’s mission here?”

 

“It was to travel here and capture-”

 

“A flame minion and use it to strengthen your own power?”

 

Sarah chuckles. “That’s idiotic, only a person who’d want death would do that. We were tasked to obtain a sample of the flame.”

 

“The flames are able to burn anything it touches, so there’s no possible way to contain it. And even if you find one, for what purpose would it be for?”

 

“There is a way to do it, and that’s by using a titanium container. Many of the mages request for a sample in order to find a way to duplicate it, which would hopefully help combat the golden flames attacking parts of our kingdom.”

 

“Wait, this isn’t the only place that was destroyed by it?”

 

Sarah shakes her head, “The nine nations have given us reports on the collateral damage, and it’s getting worse every week. But it’s being kept a secret from the public for obvious reasons.”

 

“I’ve only heard of this one thus far…”

 

“It seems Uranohoshi hasn’t been attacked so far, consider yourselves lucky. But it’s only a matter of time until they begin to.”

 

This is bad news, she’ll have to inform Mari of this right away. “Thank you for the information, Sarah.”

 

“I’d say you're welcome, but I still kind of hate you.”

 

Before Dia could say anything else, she spots the roof of the shrine in the distance. They’re getting closer to You’s squadron. “Ah, look! I can see the shrine’s roof from here. We’re almost there!”

 

Only seconds later, a boulder filled with flames hits the ground near the group. Ruby and Leah dodge in the opposite direction of Dia and Sarah. A large fire spreads between the two, and separates them.

 

“SIS!”

 

“Ruby- Stay there!”

 

* * *

 

Ruby freezes in fear as a monster appears- the monster’s body was composed of molten rocks and metal, and the only thing on its face was a large, glowing eye. From the corner of her eye, she sees Leah trying to attack the border fire with sheets of ice, but it immediately melts into a large puddle of water.

 

“It’s useless, Sarah. I can’t go through!”

 

Sarah doesn’t respond, but Ruby can see Sarah whispering something to Dia’s ear. Something about it made Ruby’s chest sink, she can already tell what Dia’s going to say.

 

Dia turns towards the two of them and yells. “RUBY, TAKE LEAH AND GO!”

 

Leah crosses her arms and glares at Dia. “I’m not leaving without my sister.”

 

Dia tries to speak, but Sarah does it for her. She tries to shout, but she ends up coughing, and instead speaks with a low voice. “You have to go, Leah. Or else you’re going to get hurt too.”

 

“But I-”

 

“Dia, take these!” Leah’s protest is interrupted by Ruby. She tosses Dia her coat and receives a few questioning looks before she realizes it was full of healing potions, carbon balls, and explosive pellets. Dia immediately gives one to Sarah and downs another in one go.

 

The monster was getting closer. Both older sisters shout at Ruby and Leah. “GO!”

 

Leah was stubbornly staying in place. Ruby instantly picks up Leah and carries her bridal style. She makes sure to have a flame hovering above Leah, just in case she tries to escape. “H-hey, what the hell are you doing?!”

 

“I-I’m sorry but… we need to leave, now.”

 

Ruby takes one last glance at her sister and Sarah. It seems that Sarah was walking again, and they were beginning to fight it. She sprints all the way into the town.

 

When they meet the general back at the shrine, the first thing she says is:

 

“Why are you crying?”

 

* * *

 

Sarah wakes to a water droplet dropping on her cheek. It takes her a minute to realize she isn’t at home when she starts to feel the ache of each wound and bruise in her body, and the cold surface she was laying against.

 

 _It’s best not to get up so suddenly. Someone might be watching me._ Sarah thinks to herself. She opens her eyes slowly and looks around, still not moving. She seems to be in a cave, the opening isn’t far from where she was laying. Nearby her was Dia, still unconscious. She was just about to sit up when an abnormally powerful gust of wind from outside the cave keeps her down.

 

Sarah turns her eyes to the entrance and finds a dragon landing on the snow. She could already feel her hands getting clammy due to sheer fear. She tries to close her eyes, hoping it would help.

 

But Sarah ends up opening them again when a voice begins to speak. She cautiously shifts her head in order to see better, she finds that the owner of the voice was a young blonde with a ponytail.

 

“Geez, what did you do to the village back there? It’s in shambles!”

 

_Was she insane? That dragon could kill her!_

 

Suddenly, the dragon was enveloped in a purple light. When it was gone, the dragon had vanished and instead was replaced with a short-haired redhead.

 

“I… I got mad at Nico, and before I knew it we started fighting.”

 

“Ugh, I can’t let you two out of my sight for a minute…”

 

“So, what are we going to do about those two?”

 

“Hmm, I guess we’ll just transport them over to a nearby village. They haven’t seen us, right?”

 

“I don’t think so, hopefully not-” The blonde one immediately turns her head to check on Dia and Sarah. Sarah closes her eyes too late. She hears a nervous chuckle from the blonde. “… You’re awake, aren’t you?”

 

“Shit.”

 

* * *

 

Ruby gave all of the information Dia told her to General You, who took it with shock and grief. Of course, when Leah asked her to tell Ruby to free her so she could fight with her sister again, You refused.

 

The sun had set by the time the carriage arrived. Ruby had expected her sister to come back, but she didn’t. On the bright side, everyone was able to fit in the carriage, so it meant they wouldn’t have to camp out tonight.

 

Ruby creates two flames: one in the center of the carriage, and one for herself. She’d been offered a couple of sweaters and coats to keep her warm, but she denied all of them because they were the only pieces of clothes the squadron had left.

 

Ruby flinches in surprise when she feels something warm and heavy envelope her, she looks around and finds that Leah had given Ruby her sister’s coat.

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“That’s rude…”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Ruby pouts. “My sister always says that cursing is bad. Your sister isn’t teaching you properly.”

 

Leah’s eye twitches. “W-well, my sister tells me that if you’ve got to defend yourself, you could use any means necessary!”

 

“But that doesn’t mean she’s right!”

 

“Nor does it mean she’s wrong!”

 

Both of them grumble and look away in silence. Ruby breaks it first. “You really do love your sister, don’t you?”

 

“Of course I do. What kind of question is that?”

 

“Then you’ll do anything to save her?”

 

Leah breaks eye contact with her and focuses on her hands. “Yeah. If I had the choice I would’ve switched places with her.”

 

“Then you can’t waste your time trying to escape from me.” Ruby startles herself, she’d never said anything with this much assertiveness before. “B-because, we’d have to work together to find them again.”

 

“Fine, so what’s the plan?”

 

“Um…” Ruby takes a moment to think, she’d honestly believed Leah would turn her down immediately. “I think we should get help from Uranohoshi Empress, Mari-san, first. I’m sure she’ll let us partner up in order to find our sisters.”

 

“Find them? But they could be dead by now!”

 

Ruby shakes her head and points to the feather on her left ear. “This is a phoenix feather we were tasked to retrieve during our initiation. Since it chose both of us, if one of the users die, the other will turn dull and destroy itself.” She makes Leah place her fingers on the root of the feather, to show her its glowing, golden stripes. “You see? She’s still alive!”

 

“H-how would I know my sister is alive?”

 

“Hmm… where is your ‘piece’?”

 

Leah points to crown. “When my sister and I defeated a Cetus-” When Leah sees Ruby’s lost expression, she clears her throat. “A sea monster, this crown was made for us to wear.”

 

“Did you kill it?”

 

“No, obviously. It’s common knowledge that armor forged from a mythical beast’s parts will stop working once it dies.”

 

“I-I do know that…” Ruby gets up and examines the crown, looking for the signature glow Dia taught her to look for. “I can still see a glow in the crown, though it’s a little faint.”

 

“Okay, so my sister IS alive. What's our plan?”

 

“We’ll convince Empress Mari to settle for an alliance with the Seisen Kingdom. After that, we should start by forming a team to examine and battle the fires head-on.”

 

“That part sounds a little questionable, but I’m with you on it. If we have to fight against a dragon, then we’ll train for it too.”

 

Ruby gives out an audible gasp. “That’s just what I was thinking!”

 

Leah covers her mouth with her hand as she leans on her arm. Ruby could tell she was trying to hide her smile. “Th-that’s enough planning for today. We need to rest.”

 

“Okay…” Ruby drapes the cape over the two of them, she receives a confused glare from Leah. “It’ll get cold even later tonight, you can’t afford to get sick.”

 

“O-oh, that makes sense... Can I borrow your shoulder?”

 

“Sure, I guess.”

 

Ruby leans on Leah’s shoulder, sleep tugging at her eyelids. “Thanks and goodnight, um…”

 

“It’s Leah… Leah Kazuno. Seriously, you didn’t even know my name after all this time?”

 

The awkward silence from Ruby instantly gave Leah the answer. Leah sighs in disappointment.

 

“…You know, I still haven’t forgiven you for hurting my sister.”

 

“A-and it’s the same for me. But, since we’ve both hurt each other’s sisters, shouldn’t we call it even?”

 

Leah tries to make a snarky retort, but ends up failing. “I guess so. Goodnight then, Kurosawa.”

 

Ruby winces, she finds it unusual to be addressed by her family name since it was always only Dia who was called by it. “I’d rather you use my first name.”

 

“I see. Goodnight, Ruby-san.”

 

“Goodnight, Leah-san.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it! I literally wrote this in the span of three days because I had to cram it all in before Winter Break ends and finals begin (I'll be suffering in the corner). Please do comment on your thoughts, constructive criticism, or if I should make a continuation below (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و. Thank you!
> 
> P.S. I have some art on this if anyone wants to see it: http://flying-frappuccino.tumblr.com/post/169145755406/a-lil-heads-up-that-i-wrote-a-magic-au-for


	2. SKY JOURNEY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye this is like three months late HAHAHAHA

“Where is Kurosawa Dia?”

 

After the whole excursion and recovery of You’s squadron, Mari summoned the two of them to dinner with her on the night of their return. Empress Mari sat before Ruby and You, both of which tensed up with the inevitable question. From the looks of it, their conversation wasn’t going to turn out very well. Ruby’s gaze meets You’s, her eyes were telling her she’d rather not be the one to speak to Mari about it.

 

You clears her throat and places her utensils down. “As of now, Kurosawa Dia and Kazuno Sarah have been captured by the flames. Their current whereabouts are unknown.”

 

“Ah…” Mari’s lively expression turns crestfallen. “Is there a way we can confirm Dia is only missing, not dead?”

 

You gives Ruby a pat, signaling her to speak. “S-since it came from the same beast, my artifact-” Ruby points to the feathered earpiece she was wearing, “-will tell me the condition my sister is in. Our powers will stay connected, unless one of us dies.” From the looks of it, the healthy glow of the feather gave Mari and You the promise of Dia’s wellbeing.

 

Mari sighs in relief, she shifts her attention back to You. “I’ll look into ways to track their location, but until then, please keep Ruby and Leah under firm supervision to avoid any rumors or suspicion.”

 

“Yes ma’am. And how will we inform the Kurosawa clan?”

 

“We don’t.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“We’ll keep it a secret for now. The knowledge of Dia going missing is going to lead to chaos in that clan. Besides…” Mari looks at Ruby with a pitiful glance. “I don’t think Ruby-chan is ready to take her older sister’s place just yet.”

 

“That… makes sense.” You places a hand on her forehead and leans back in her chair. She hates making plans like these, and even more so when it involved secrecy. “How do I inform my squadron?”

 

“There is no need to, my leading sorcerer has already casted a spell on them to forget about the incidents in the mission and replaced them with false memories.”

 

“And what of Kazuno Leah?” Ruby chimes in.

 

“I believe we should keep you two away from the castle as soon as possible. Though the castle would be ideal for protection, there is a possibility people would find out that Dia is missing if her little sister lingers around the castle for too long. I planned on moving you to a more reasonable and isolated place, but I’m not too sure where…”

 

You speaks up. “I’ve got a friend that could help with that. She’s a part time merchant, but her family runs an orphanage at the edge of the kingdom. I’ve got enough reason to trust her.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea. Are you okay with this, Ruby-chan?”

 

“I-I’m alright with everything you’ve said so far, except for one thing.”

 

“Oh? What is it?”

 

“Please don’t place Leah and I into hiding. We both agreed to work and find our sister’s captors. Not only that, we’ve also found information useful to you as well.”

 

“Ruby-chan, I know you love your sister very much, but if we lost you and Leah, there’s a high chance both of your clans will go into another feud.”

 

The idea of another feud arising between the Kurosawa and Kazuno clan sent chills down You’s back. The last feud they had lasted for nearly a century, and because of that, the Kazunos were banished from Uranohoshi and joined forces with the Seisen Kingdom. There hasn’t been a feud in quite a while, but if it were to spark once again, it’d be a huge disaster.

 

“General You, I’ll put you in charge of any actions revolving the dragon sightings. Please report them as soon as you can. I’ll allow you to have my advisor back you up on your missions as well.”

 

“Does that mean I’ll be in charge of _both_ the mission and watching over Ruby and Leah?”

 

“Not exactly, I have two advisors I’ll send with you on your trip. One will take upon the mission alongside you, and the other will watch over them.”

 

“I see. When will we leave?”

 

“By sundown, two days from now.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning comes with great relief to everyone, especially those whose loved ones had been in You’s command. In many parts of the city, the civilians rejoiced for the luck and skill You possessed through this mission.

 

But these praises only led to a heavier guilt placed on the General’s heart. Even though the thought of her own achievements was a pleasant feeling, she couldn’t help but grieve for the families who lost their son or daughter during the mission.

 

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

 

You flinches back in surprise. When she turns, she finds herself staring at a girl with amber eyes and burgundy hair on the balcony beside her. You stops in her tracks and gapes at her.

 

The girl doesn’t realize how much You had been staring until she turns as well, she chuckles awkwardly and covers her mouth in slight embarrassment. “I apologize, I must have scared you.”

 

You snaps out of her daze and moves her hand slowly to make its way to her blade. “I- yes. How did you get in here?”

 

The latter turns her attention to the You’s blade, but was seemingly unfazed by it. She leans closer to the edge of the balcony and smiles. “Don’t worry, I serve under the Ohara family name.”

 

You takes a step back. “As what?”

 

The girl lifts the sleeve of her vest, revealing an emblem marked on her wrist: a treble clef. “I am Empress Mari’s second advisor and chief alchemist, Sakurauchi Riko.”

 

You gulps and instantly bows her head in regret. “I am truly sorry! Mari hadn’t informed me of any important representatives like you beforehand…”

 

Riko waves her hand dismissively. “It’s not your fault, Mari keeps most of her officials’ positions under strict secrecy. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of the castle hadn’t known she had advisors in the first place.”

 

“Why would she keep your position a secret?”

 

“To protect us, of course. No one would be able to tell the difference between a maid and a secretary in Mari’s castle, she’s fairly friendly to all of the staff here, after all.”

 

You hums in surprise. “That sure is nice of her. But why are you telling me all of this?”

 

“I’ve come to ask for your help, General You.”

 

“With… with what, exactly?”

 

“I can only tell you if you come to the library tonight. Bring no one, and don’t tell anyone, even Mari-san.”

 

You purses her lips, trying to weigh her options in mere seconds. “Alright, but if you try to ambush me, I’ll have you know how easy a knight can take on an alchemist.”

 

“Don’t worry, You-san. Trapping you should be the least of your concerns.”         

 

* * *

 

 

“Say _what_ now?”

 

“Geez, Yoshiko-chan. Don’t you listen?” Riko sighs, they’ve been in Mari’s quarters for half an hour now. Each time, Yoshiko had the nerve to complain about it or add in a comment about her satanic rituals.

 

“It’s Yo-ha-ne! Anyways, Mari.” Riko grimaces at Yoshiko’s lack of honorifics for the Empress. “You’re saying I have to babysit two people while you’re letting Riko go on an actual mission?”

 

“Oh come on now, don’t say it like that. They’re both around your age so you could be their bodyguard and befriend them at the same time!” When Yoshiko merely stares at her, Mari gives her a mischievous smirk. “See? Aren’t I a genius?”

 

Riko snorts. “That was a good joke, Mari-san.”

 

Yoshiko groans. “Mari, can’t you just let me go on the mission instead? I’d be more helpful there than… wherever you’re sending me.”

 

“You’re wrong about that. Since Ruby informed me that titanium could be used to contain the flame minions, Riko’s alchemy will be beneficial to taking them down. Meanwhile, if those two do get any ideas on trying to escape, you’ll be better at dealing with direct fighting than Riko would ever be against them.”

 

Yoshiko sighs in defeat. “I guess the fallen angel Yohane will have to suffer at the cost of this mission.”

 

Riko rolls her eyes. “Then perish.”

 

Mari ignores their banter and gets up from her throne. “Well then, since that’s settled, I’ll take my leave. I have a meeting in half an hour. I’ll let you know the full details of the plan by tomorrow, but for tonight you two can prepare for departure.” Before the two could react, Mari gives them a “Shiny!” and dashes out of her office.

 

Only when Riko stops hearing the echo of Mari’s dashing steps on the hardwood floor does Yoshiko begin to speak. “Hey, Lily.”

 

Riko inwardly cringes at the sound of her nickname. Yoshiko donned it to her the week they met as Mari’s two first and only advisors, working under the name ‘Guilty Kiss’. Riko attempted to create a nickname that was equally embarrassing for her, but it seems Yoshiko had taken a liking to it instead.

 

“What is it, Yocchan?”

 

“Do you think Mari is… okay?”

 

“Eh? What do you mean?”

 

“She’s been a lot more cheerful as of late. Considering how much of a slump she was in a while ago, it’s kind of a scary change.”

 

“Now that you mention it, it is quite sudden. Perhaps she’s gotten over her recent cold?”

 

“No one has a slump for three years and calls it a _cold_ , idiot.” _Oh_ , Riko thinks, _she was talking about that_. Riko isn’t surprised that Yoshiko has noticed the obvious difference in Mari’s mood as of late. Instead of her usual reminiscent comments and heavy manner she carried herself in, the blonde was full of goofy grins and happy movements. Whatever caused it was truly a mystery to Riko.

 

“I have no clue.” She admits to Yoshiko. “But in regards to that, I think we might be able to find some answers in the castle’s library.”

 

“Eh? That old, dusty place? What would she have in there, some hidden instant happy-go-lucky potion?”

 

“No, you idiot!” Riko winces, she swears Yoshiko’s stupidity _physically_ hurts her in ways she never thought possible. “I’m planning on doing more research about the dragons tonight. I was hoping you could help me.”

 

Yoshiko gives her an incredulous look. “How would that explain Mari’s recent behavior?”

 

“It really doesn’t. I’m thinking… I don’t know- It’s just a hunch.”

 

Yoshiko hums in amusement. “An alchemist’s intuition, huh?”

 

“Ah, be quiet. You don’t have to go if you’re going to doubt me like this.”

 

“On the contrary, I think I’m going to stick around to see what your gut is telling you. It seems pretty interesting to me.”

 

* * *

 

 

The library was west of the castle’s main gates, in a secluded portion of the Ohara garden. It took a few minutes for You to find it, but she eventually enters with a lamp and sword in hand.

“I’m glad you showed up.”

 

You turns to the direction of the sound, sword raised. “You’ve kept your promise?”

 

“Of course. In addition, I also brought a friend.”

 

The two shadows that were hidden from the darkness emerge from her own lamp’s light. One, she’d already known, was Sakurauchi Riko. The other, however…

 

“This is Tsushima Yoshiko, she’s co-advisors with me for Empress Mari. Her specialty is-”

 

“Necromancy and everything of the dark arts. I am the fallen angel, _Yohane_.” The weird girl strikes a pose that makes You question whether she was being serious or just messed up in the head.

 

“I’m sorry for her attitude, I swear she’s reliable.”

 

“I am more than _just_ reliable, but the sentiment is appreciated.”

 

“... _Anyways_ , we’ll both lead you. So just follow us.”

 

Though the library was vast (to say in the least), the two had no problem finding the oldest section of scrolls and texts they were looking for. All of the opened scrolls on the floors and illuminating candles gave You the feeling that these two had been here for hours. Yoshiko passes a couple of scrolls to Riko, who coughs from the dust and places them on their makeshift table: a rock and a couple of broken boards.

 

“So, can you give me any answers now, Riko-san?”

 

The girl turns her head as she shifts from her squatting position. “Yes. I’ve brought both of you here to talk about the dragon attacks. From Ruby-chan’s information, the attacks have been happening all over the nine kingdoms, not just ours. It’s a given that dragons wouldn’t attack without any reason, so the locations can’t have been a coincidence. But since we don’t have any actual maps that have the attack’s location given, we will have to search for the motive instead of the pattern.”

 

Yoshiko raises her hand to get everyone’s attention. “If you both need locations, I could send out a couple of messenger crows to scout. Hopefully I can get at least a location or two to you in a couple of weeks. It’s the most I can do if I’m stuck babysitting.”

 

Riko scoffs. “They’re the same age as you. Who are you calling a baby?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

You resists the urge to roll her eyes and speaks. “Let’s get back on track, everyone. Yoshiko-san, do you think you can lend me one of your messenger crows so we could keep in touch while you’re here?”

 

“I believe so.”

 

“Okay, then we’ll do that. Now the main concern is the destination. Did Mari-san tell you where Riko-san and I are supposed to travel to?”

 

“Not exactly, though she told me that we’d be dropping Yoshiko’s group off at the inn before we head out. She mentioned something about investigating the town that was attacked, if I recall correctly.”

 

“I see…” As You tries to add in another question, a rolling scroll bumps the side of her foot. She picks it up and opens in curiously. She couldn’t exactly read the text, but the images inside of it revealed a dragon covered in flames, and next to it, a miniature human holding a large heart. You taps Yoshiko to get her attention. “Hey, do you think this thing is important?”

 

Yoshiko leans in a little, inspecting the ancient text closely. She gasps. “Oh heavens, I don’t want to jinx it with my horrible luck, but I feel like we’re dealing with a situation that’s worse than we think.”

 

Riko and You exchange questioning looks. “What kind of situation?”

 

“We might be dealing with a thief that’s stolen a dragon’s heart.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ruby, Leah, Hanamaru, and their bodyguard Yoshiko arrive at the orphanage a few hours after their leave. Following them was Riko and herself, both on their own individual horses. The five of them left together the night after You’s late night research with the other two. From what You’s has heard from Yoshiko, she knew she should have her guard up on Leah, and maybe even Ruby. They’ve decided to keep their major discovery a secret, it was too much of a risk to let others find out. Especially if the thief is out there somewhere.

 

The orphanage itself wasn’t as intimidating as most people thought it would look. You always heard rumors about orphanages that would abuse the children in their care, even to the point of killing them. But this one was… warm, to say in the least.

 

You walks to the door of the small estate and gives the door three rhythmic knocks- giving the owner an “all clear”. She immediately hears a voice from one of the windows. “Welcome to the Takami family’s humble abode!”

 

General You smiles, instantly recognizing the individual’s voice without having to see her. “It’s me, Chika-chan!”

 

Yoshiko hears a scream of excitement followed by loud footsteps, each growing louder and louder. The last thing You before she gets knocked to the ground is a flash of a tangerine colored blur.

 

“You-chan! I missed you soooo much!” You feels warm arms envelope her, making her blush a little. “I was worried when I heard your squadron was attacked, I’m glad you made it out just fine.”

 

“I wouldn’t leave you behind so quickly. How are the children doing?”

 

“They’re fine, actually, they’re eager to see you back!”

 

“That’s good-”

 

A cough helps You realize the position she was in. She awkwardly looks back at the five pairs of eyes staring at her knowingly. “A-Ahem, Chika-chan, I brought over some guests.”

 

Chika turns her attention to the five, and immediately recognizes Ruby. She jumps excitedly and is quick to grab the younger girl’s hands, You could hear a tiny squeak escape the girl’s mouth.

 

“Are you Ruby? The Ruby Kurosawa? Oh gosh! It’s such a pleasure to meet you in person! I’m a really big fan of you and your sister’s performances!”

 

By the time Chika stops rambling, Ruby looked as if she was about to cry in sheer fear. Chika immediately steps back. “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you-”

 

Ruby catches on fire and it takes Leah and Hanamaru to prevent her from setting the Takami household’s porch down.

 

* * *

 

 

“We’re extremely sorry!” Hanamaru and Ruby bow down in apology. Ruby was still soaked from the amount of snow Leah smacked onto her. She wasn’t hurt by it though- she knew she deserved it after nearly lighting Chika and her front door ablaze. She makes a mental reminder to keep her own anxiousness and emotions in check, just in case a situation like this sprouts up again.

 

Chika just laughs. “It’s fine, don’t sweat it! There’s a lot of kids that come into this orphanage with powers like hers, so I’m used to handling it. Now, why did you bring these guests over, You-chan?”

 

“I need your help to hide them. Don’t worry, I’m sure no harm will come to you or these children. I’ve brought over Ruby and Mari’s adv-” You clears her throat, she almost forgot to lie about Yoshiko’s real identity. “Ahem, I mean, Ruby’s hired bodyguard, Yoshiko.”

 

“Huh, I see…” Chika hums. “This is great! We needed an extra pair of hands to help us out in the orphanage.” She turns to the three curiously. “So, what would you guys prefer as payment? Silver shillings, livestock, or maybe a lot of fresh mandarins?”

 

Ruby speaks up, shaking her head timidly. “N-no need for payment, the fact that you’re willing to house us is enough…”

 

Hanamaru also adds in to Ruby’s statement. “Yep! It’d be boring if we were to lounge around for so long, I’m sure we’d all be happy to help zura.”

 

Ruby notices Leah stays silent. She accidentally makes eye contact with her, and immediately looks to the opposite direction. Ruby hears a grumble from Leah before she speaks up. “My sister and I tend to our family’s restaurant since we were kids. I can help out with the cooking and stuff.”

 

Ruby blinks, _the Kazuno family has a restaurant? Was she lying?_ It seems as if she wasn’t the only one who was surprised- You, Riko, and Hanamaru looked like they were trying to contain their shock, while Yoshiko’s jaw flat out dropped. Thankfully, Chika didn’t notice since she was too excited about a new cook who was working for free. She also didn’t know that Leah was actually from a wanted, infamously cruel two-person unit.

 

Chika turns to Ruby, her giddy smile growing bigger. “And Ruby, would it be possible for you to help train the hybrid children? They aren't exactly experienced, so any kind of mentorship that could help them in the future is definitely a big help for all of us.”

 

Ruby purses her lips. She’s good with children, but she wasn’t experienced in training hybrids- even _if_ they were young. She decides against mentioning that fact, though. She should try before giving up so easily. She nods her head to answer Chika’s question.

 

Chika gasps in delight. “Well, let’s get you all started, then!”

 

* * *

 

A day of severe training, cleaning, and cooking led Ruby to the brink of fainting from exhaustion. She wasn’t complaining, though. Ruby vowed to try as hard as she could to improve in order to be as useful as she could to the Takami household. If she wasn’t able to do this much, then how would she be able to face her sister?

 

Three knocks of a familiar tune on her door brought her back from her thoughts. She opens the door and as expected, Leah was there. When their eyes meet, the shorter girl merely clicks her tongue and puts her things down beside Ruby’s futon. She didn’t have much- only a blanket, some hair ties, and her sister’s cloak.

 

Ruby also notices she’s still wearing her dirtied training clothes.

 

“U-um, do you have any other things to wear?”

 

Leah slowly turns to her, seemingly glaring at her own feet. Whether she was mad at Ruby or just embarrassed, she couldn’t tell. “I wasn’t given any clothes other than these. But this will be enough.”

 

Though Leah’s assurance was clear, Ruby didn’t feel that it was right to leave her be. “Would you like to borrow some of my clothes?”

 

Leah gives her a puzzled look, Ruby flinches away meekly. “I mean, er… we’re about the same height. So, I just thought you’d be okay with it. Are you not?”

 

When Leah doesn’t say anything back to her, Ruby stiffly walks over to her own luggage and retrieves a sweater and pants to give to Leah. She returns to Leah and leaves the clothes next to her, her own eyes wandering around everywhere but Leah’s eyes. “I’ll leave these here just in case you do want to change into them. I hope you don’t mind the design.”

 

A sniffle catches Ruby’s attention.

 

Ruby looks up to find Leah facing away from her with crossed arms and a hand covering her mouth. “Why…” Leah’s voice falters a little, she clears her throat. “Why are you being so kind to me?”

 

Honestly, Ruby wasn’t even sure of the reason either. It takes her a while to reply. “I guess it’s because I want to help others, is all.”

 

“Even if that person nearly killed your sister?”

 

Ruby pouts, she knows they’ve had this conversation over and over again, but Leah was still hung up about it. “You’re in the same situation as me, so I can only sympathize. I don’t think holding grudges will help us in the long run either…”

 

Suddenly, Ruby felt a chill throughout her whole body. The room was getting colder. Ruby looks at Leah’s hands, there were little specks of ice seeping through her hands and were growing larger by the second.

 

“But what if we can’t find them? What if they hate us for leaving them? What- what if we find them but it’s too late?”

 

“Stop saying those things, Leah-san!”

 

“It won’t stop me from thinking about it!”

 

Leah finally looks at Ruby, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She aggressively rubs them away in an instant, causing her cheeks to flush even more due to the frigid temperature of her icy hands. Leah’s right hand starts to clutch at her chest, her breathing becoming more heavy and erratic. Ruby knew these as early signs of a panic attack.

 

From past experiences with teaching children (especially those with high demanding parents), Ruby had enough knowledge to act upon her instincts.

 

Ruby searches frantically for something that Leah could focus her attention to, but realizing that she didn’t have enough time for it, she gulps and places a gentle palm on Leah’s hand. She nearly draws her hand back immediately because of the chill, but she tries to ignore it. “Leah, look into my eyes.”

 

Sure enough, Leah’s tear stained eyes look into hers. “Now, focus on breathing, okay? Follow me.”

 

Ruby inhales for four seconds, holds her breath for seven, and exhales by eight. She continues this and patiently waits until Leah’s breathing turns back to normal. Once her panic attack subsides, Leah sighs and puts her head on Ruby’s shoulder, the ice shards slowly dissipating from her hands.

 

Ruby hesitantly rubs Leah’s back, it was a weak attempt to try and comfort her, but it was the thought that counts. To Ruby’s surprise, Leah accepts it and gently clutches Ruby’s shoulders. “I think I’m alright now, Ruby.”

 

“Th-that’s good.” Ruby nearly freezes due to the fact that no one other than her mother and sister have been in such close proximity and physical contact to her.

 

Silence ensues, but instead of breaking it, Ruby merely stares at the moon or makes quick side glances at Leah. When a few minutes pass, Ruby assumes the girl had fallen asleep in her arms.

 

“Hey, Ruby?”

 

She realizes Leah had dropped the honorifics for her. The notion makes Ruby feel a little weird inside. She blushes a little, but she makes sure to reciprocate. “Yes, Leah?”

 

“Aren’t you scared?”

 

“I-I am, but I’m trying my best not to.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I want to show my sister that I could look after myself. I… I want to make her proud.”

 

Leah chuckles. It’s a surprisingly soft sound, compared to the roughness of her voice. “I think she’d already be proud of you, even without trying to impress her.”

 

“Oh? How so?”

 

Leah raises herself from Ruby’s shoulder and gives Ruby a light hit on the head. “That’s a secret.”

 

Ruby rubs her head and pouts in frustration. "Ow…"

 

“Cute…”

 

Ruby blinks, caught off guard by her statement. She can’t believe what she’d heard. “Leah, wh-what did you say?”

 

Leah flushes with embarrassment, she turns away and picks up the clothes Ruby left for her. “I didn’t say anything! A-anyways I’ll be changing now, so don’t peek or I'll kill you!”

 

“O-of course.”

 

Ruby waits patiently before Leah gives her the all clear. One glimpse of Leah in her attire made Ruby want to hug her because of how cute it looked on her. Ruby gives her a bright smile.

 

“Hey, what’s with the weird smile?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just thought the outfit suited you after all.”

 

“Are these bunny print pajamas?”

 

“Yep!”

 

Leah opens her mouth to argue, but sighs instead. “Well then, I guess it won’t hurt to wear it.”

 

“And this way, you’ll be warm too!”

 

“I suppose that is true.” Leah lays out a futon from the room’s closet next to Ruby’s. She places her blanket inside and faces her. Despite the darkness of the room, Ruby could see the magenta glow of her eyes. “Would it be alright if I sleep this close to you?”

 

“It’s fine with me.”

 

Though Leah wasn’t using her powers, Ruby could still feel her unpleasant cold seeping through her futon and blankets. Ruby wraps herself in her blankets even more, having Leah this close meant she’d get colder, but she didn’t want to admit it. She ends up shuffling in her futon and covers her head with her sheets.

 

“Are you still awake?”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“I thought so. I can’t sleep either… I feel too cold.”

 

Ruby almost giggled at that statement, but when she peeks from her covers, she realizes Leah wasn’t joking. She was shivering and rubbing her hands together for warmth. “Ruby, I have one more request, but if it sounds too weird, then I understand if you decline.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Can you hold my hand?”

 

Ruby gives Leah a puzzled look. “Why?”

 

Leah shrinks away from Ruby, wrapping herself in her blankets. “I usually have trouble sleeping. It’s a side effect from relying on my magical artifact for too long. My sister always held my hand to prevent me from having nightmares.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Though Ruby’s side effects were different from Leah’s, Ruby has had a fair share of her own nightmares. “Don’t worry, Leah, I’ll hold your hand.” She reaches out to Leah’s hand and grips it tightly. The room’s temperature almost instantly rises, leaving Ruby with a sense of accomplishment and relief.

 

Leah gives Ruby a smile. It wasn’t a grin or a smirk, it was the first time she’d given her an actual, genuine smile. “Thank you, Ruby.”

 

It was enough to make Ruby’s heart flutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im crying in the club this is so late but at least i did it am i ri ght


	3. Yozora wa Nandemo Shitteru No? (Does the Sky Know Everything?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This was a hard chapter to write because of finals and AP testing. But I'll get on the writing grind when summer hits!

Dia wakes up to the smell of dried blood and aching pains from all over her body. She can’t exactly look around because of how heavy she felt, but from the voices she made out in the room, she knew it was wiser to fake sleeping instead of confronting the owners of the voices.

 

Dia could tell there were three voices in the room, and one she’s confident to say is Sarah’s voice. She speaks faintly, but the other two in the room respectfully go silent when Sarah speaks.

 

“I swear, we’re not going to do anything with the information you’ve given us. We’re just here for the town’s annual market sale!”

 

Dia tries her best not to chuckle. She fully knew Sarah was lying, but it sure wasn’t a believable one. If her memory serves her correctly, her clothes should be full of burnt marks and blood stains from their quarrel with dragon’s fire minions.

 

 _Ah, that's right_ , Dia thinks, they were fighting the minions and then Sarah passed out. She barely remembers the fight herself, but she's almost certain she'd lost as well. So, how were they not dead now?

 

Dia takes a peek, nearly hissing out loud because of the bright light coming from the room’s windows. In the corner of her eye, she sees the three figures: Sarah, a blonde, and a crimson headed woman. They were all sitting on the floor facing away from her.

 

The blonde speaks first, obvious apprehension in her voice. “There’s no way we’d know whether you’re lying or not, but we did find you _because_ you were retrieved by our minions.” The girl beside the blonde crossed her arms and sighed. “Even if you didn’t see us, we decided we’d rather keep you under tight watch because you’re a potential threat.”

 

 _Not good_ , Dia thinks. They obviously had some suspicions about the true reason of why Sarah and Dia were at the village, and from the looks of these two women, it sounded like the consequences would be harsh.

 

Dia summons a small, blue flame and waits for the chance to strike. When Dia was sure both of the women couldn’t see her, Dia launches herself from the bed and tries to aim for the back of the blonde girl’s neck.

 

But before the fire could reach her, the blonde reacts swiftly and places an arm crushing grip on Dia’s arm. Dia yelps in pain and Sarah gasps in alarm, covering her mouth with her two hands. Dia tries to spread the blue fire across the length of her arm before she realizes that the blonde’s skin wasn’t burning from the flames- in fact it wasn’t burning _at all_.

 

The blonde twists Dia’s arm against her back, shoving Dia onto the table. Dia hisses in pain and shame, “I… How…”

 

The crimson headed woman’s mouth turns upwards into a small, but noticeable smile of satisfaction. “Your fire can’t hurt us. We’re dragons, after all.”

 

“D-dragons…?” A thousand thoughts were circling through Dia’s mind as she felt the blonde put more pressure on her arm.

 

The blonde spoke in a polite tone, “Yes, we need to make sure this doesn’t leak to the public. So unfortunately, you’ll be sticking with us.”

 

“Why don’t you kill us off instead of keeping us hostage?” Sarah inquires.

 

“That’s because you have something that we want.” The red-head pointed to Sarah’s crown and Dia’s feathered earpiece. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed you two wearing the items of a mythical beast’s parts. You two will be useful in helping us find what we’re looking for.”

 

The blonde lets go of Dia once she stops struggling and sits on the bed. Dia glares at both of the dragons, “We won’t help you unless you stop destroying towns and villages.”

 

The both dragons perked up, “What do you mean?”

 

Dia growls, “Don’t play innocent, we know you’re the ones destroying the-”

 

“We’re not. That’s Sonoda Umi and Minami Kotori you’re talking about.”

 

“Who now…?”

 

“They’re two of the dragons that are attacking your territory. In fact, we were trying to find them as well.”

 

Sarah presses a hand to her head in confusion, “Wait wait wait, so you’re telling us there are _more_ of you dragons? I’ve always thought there was only one dragon that still existed in our times.”

 

Dia’s curiosity overtakes her initial embarrassment and anger from losing. She swears she’s heard of the two names that the dragon had given, but she can’t remember where. “If two of the dragons have names, what are yours?”

 

The crimson haired girl answers her question, “My name is Nishikino Maki, and she is Ayase Eli.”

 

Eli sighs in disappointment, “At this point it feels more like our hostages are interrogating us instead.”

 

 _Ayase Eli!?_ Dia thinks, she definitely knows where that name was from. Ayase was known as the goddess of dance in the Uranohoshi Dynasty, she’d always looked up to her as a child. “The nine dragons are the nine muses?”

 

Eli raises an eyebrow, “That’s a strange title you humans gave, but I guess that must be us.”

 

Maki rolls her eyes, “Anyways, you’re going to help us find Sonoda-san and Minami-san, who are trying to find Kousaka Honoka.” Dia takes note of that name, she recognizes that it was the name of the goddess of unity and the leader of the muses.

 

Sarah asks the next question, “So, what happened to this Kousaka Honoka?”

 

Eli gives Sarah a pitying glance, “Sonoda-san and Minami-san are trying to hunt down the one that stole their childhood friend’s heart. It was a couple of months ago that we lost contact with Kousaka, and couldn’t even reach her through telepathy. We fear she may be dead, so the two of them are trying to search for her body before it falls in the wrong hands.”

 

Dia and Sarah sat in their seat, dumbfounded. Dia takes a moment to absorb the information before speaking, “How do you know her heart was stolen? Kousaka-san’s, I mean.”

 

Eli hums, “You see, before she lost contact with us, she was able to give us a telepathic distress call that alerted us about it. The last message we heard from her was-”

 

“- ‘Someone’s challenging me to a battle and wants to take my heart. I thought I could handle it but, I’m on the losing side now. Please come soon.’” Maki finished Eli’s sentence.

 

Eli bites her lip, “Ever since then, the nine of us dragons have been split up trying to chase after the other. I don’t know where the others are now, but Yazawa-san, Nishikino-san, and I have been trying to look for those two in order to stop them from wrecking more havoc to the villages. Actually, now we’re down to the two of us because Nishikino-san and a fight with Yazawa-san.”

 

Maki grumbles, “She’ll come back sooner or later.”

 

There’s a long silence before someone breaks it, Eli takes the initiative. “So what’s it going to be, are you both willing to help us, or stay as captives until everything settles down?”

 

Dia considers her options, and ironically, she really finds no choice to back out of it now. She glances over at Sarah, both sharing a knowing look of approval. “We’ll do whatever it’ll take to bring us back to our little sisters.”

 

* * *

This whole situation was bugging Leah more than it should.

 

It’s been a week since Yoshiko, Ruby, Hanamaru, and Leah have been dropped off by Riko and You. Leah tried to sneak out a couple of times, but realized there was nothing she could do when two of the kingdom’s advisors, as well as a competent pyromancer (moreso than she’d like to admit), were all watching over her like hawks to a small prey.

 

But other than that, there was also a little problem that’s been growing ever since that first night she’d slept with her newfound friend, Ruby.

 

She knows she shouldn’t have a felt anything whenever Ruby practices with her, or have her heart skip a beat when Ruby smiles at her. Maybe it was because she’d never had a true friend before, let alone a person to talk to that was the same age.  But something in the back of her mind told her otherwise. She’d read enough books in her spare time about things like this, what would others call it? She had a small _crush_ on Ruby.

 

Leah wouldn’t say it was a real crush, was more of a respect- or maybe even adoration. She assumed her feelings were playing with her just because the other girl showed some sort of care, and that this was the only extent of her feelings. Not only that, Ruby belonged to Inferno Phoenix. Saint Snow and Inferno Pheonix have been bitter enemies since they were born, and if the Seisen Kingdom heard about any of this, Leah knows her head would be on a silver platter by sunset.

 

But god was it hard for Leah to stop falling for her.

 

“Hey Leah, watch out!”

 

Leah nearly stumbles as a pile of rocks hits her back, but she catches herself before she could fall in embarrassment. She glares at her assailant, who she didn’t expect was a small child who had a squirrel's tail and ears. Right next to the child though, was the girl she was thinking too much of these days: Ruby. She soothes the child who was about to cry before running to catch up with Leah, letting the young one apologize to the her before going back to practice controlling their geomancer powers.

 

Ruby laughs apologetically, “Aah, sorry about that Leah-” Leah gulps, whenever Ruby calls her by her first name only she can feel her heart doing backflips. “-I didn’t see you there when I was teaching, we didn’t mean to hit you. Sometimes it’s hard to notice your presence…”

 

Leah puts the stack of boxes she was carrying down on the table next to her. She’s been quite restless lately, and the only place her mind could find solace in is by doing chores around the Takami residence. It wasn’t much compared to her usual training with her older sister, but it was… well, something.

 

“It’s fine, Ruby. I won’t take any damage just by a weak rock toss like that one.”

 

“That’s quite rude, but I’m glad you’re alright.”

 

Leah twitches, Ruby was giving that really adorable smile of hers again. She hates that she loves it so much, so instead of giving Ruby a snarky comment she just looks away.

 

Before Ruby could break the silence, the same child that hit Leah with a pile of rocks tugs at the hem of Ruby’s skirt. They were much smaller up close, Leah observed.

 

“Ruby-san, can you show us your fire powers now? We’ve been training for a week and you promised.”

 

Leah looks at Ruby with a questioning gaze. Ruby chuckles awkwardly, “Do you want to watch as well, Leah?”

 

“I suppose I’ve got time to kill, I’ll follow you two.” Leah doesn’t admit it’s because she wants to spend more time with Ruby. That’s just too honest.

 

* * *

 

Practicing with Ruby’s little pupils wasn’t the same as when she’d fought or practiced with her. Ruby’s fire was softer and playful, instead of her usual harsh, lethal ones. The kids were entranced by it- and if Leah were to be honest, she was too.

 

Sitting with the children Ruby taught in her spare time was almost like watching a play come to life through a bright fire. Each flame Ruby summoned was controlled with utmost precision, Leah applauded her for being able to create solid figures with the fire without it spreading out of control. It was one thing for Ruby to be an expert in elemental killing, but another to use it to enchant those around her.

 

Through the fire’s depictions, Leah was able to make out a story following a hamster that kept on getting its food stolen by a mischievous rabbit. After many failed attempts of recapturing the food, the rabbit tries to fight the hamster for its food back. But as the hamster was following the rabbit, the hamster realizes the rabbit was only looking out for its family, which were being fed with the hamster’s stolen food.

 

At one point, Ruby starts to hum a soft tune for her fire creatures to follow suit from. She summons a little rabbit that runs to Leah’s lap and hops from it to touches noses with her. Leah’s heart flutters and she tries to hide her blush from the surrounding children.

 

The last thing Leah observes from the show is the fire hamster befriending the rabbit and sharing a portion of its food to them. The hamster gives the rabbit a scarf as a token of their friendship and in return receives a flower from the rabbit.

 

And she before knew it, the show Ruby demonstrated was over.

 

Leah compliments Ruby on the show and both of them flush a bright red as they bring the children back to their rooms. The moon was high in the sky when they got back, and a little warmer than usual. It seems spring was coming sooner than she’d anticipated.

 

“H-hey, Leah?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Go for it.”

 

“I know this isn’t really something you’re usually up for, but I was wondering if you’d be willing to practice with the children if you want. Not spar with them but maybe-” Leah sees Ruby rub the back of her own neck in thought, her earpiece dangling as she moves her hair away. Out of battle, it transformed into a small feathered earring while her own Cetus crown became a headband. She notices the earpiece still glowed brightly and her thoughts drown out Ruby’s own voice, it seems Ruby’s older sister was still alive. She immediately thinks about her own sister, Sarah, who was still missing just like Ruby’s.

 

“-do you think you’d be willing to help me teach the orphans with powers with me?”

 

Leah blinks, caught off guard by both her lack of attentiveness and shock from the question. “S-say what now?”

 

“I-I mean, umm… it won’t be that hard since you’re an expert and all, and I understand if you want to decline since we’re on opposite sides and such… But I want to do this so that they can live out their true potential without harming other people on accident with it. They’ll have their own choice in joining the dynasty’s regiment, so they won’t be forced into that, at least.”

 

Leah takes a moment to process all of the information. It seems like Ruby wasn’t doing this for the dynasty itself, but rather, the children instead. Leah makes this another mental note on the list of things she adores about Ruby. “As long as they aren’t being forced into it, I’m fine with helping.”

 

“Ah! Really?”

 

“Yeah, really. I’ve got nothing better to do anyways.”

 

Ruby gasps excitedly and holds Leah’s hands, it steams from her own heat against Leah’s fingertips. It didn’t hurt, but it made Leah’s whole body feel warmer by the second. Ruby smiles as she speaks, “Alright! You can start by helping them out tomorrow, I’ll make sure I wake up earlier than you this time.”

 

“You don’t have to, Ruby. I don’t mind waking you up myself.”

 

Ruby pouts and mumbles, “I’m sure you’re tired of it by now though.”

 

Leah would definitely be more than okay with waking Ruby up _every day_ , but there’s no way she’d say it. “I-I’m a light sleeper so I’ll wake up earlier than you. When do you want to start?”

 

Ruby hums in thought, then snaps her fingers. “Would tomorrow work? I think you’ll need some time to adjust from your style of using your ice powers, so the earlier the better.”

 

This shocks Leah a little. _Did Ruby really think I can’t control my own powers around children_? Instead of questioning it, Leah just simply nods. She was hurt, but well, she was still a mercenary, at best. She had no clue how to work with kids or understand them. She can’t even remember the last time anyone treated her like a child, instead of a soldier.

 

Ruby claps her hands together, “That settles it then! I’ll head to bed early, Leah. Don’t stay up too late training yourself to the bone.”

 

“How did you kn-”

 

“Some of the children told me they woke up feeling cold and seeing ice around the open field. Yoshiko-chan also confirmed it to me too, though it was more of a complaint of not being able to do any of her ritual stuff because she had to watch you late at night…”

 

Leah grimaces thinking about that fallen angel creep watching her at night. She couldn’t even sense that mysterious girl’s presence most of the time, it made her wonder where Yohane would be watching her. Was it from the rooftop of the Takami residence, or maybe from a crystal magic ball? She’d never know, not that she’d want to ask the girl anyways.

 

“I’ll… be fine. Training helps me clear my mind, without it I’d become a dull blade.”

 

Ruby hums questioningly, “But don’t you think you deserve, um, some rest?”

 

“Not when both of our sisters are out there, I can’t.”

 

Leah regrets bringing up the heavy topic when Ruby’s face loses its usual happiness. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that. I just… I don’t know how much longer I want to stay like this- you know, while they’re still out there. I know they’re out there, we just need to connect to them somehow. I know you feel it too, Ruby.”

 

Ruby sniffles before wiping her eyes a little, “Y-yeah, but until You-san and Riko-san give us more information, we’ll be stuck here.”

 

Leah mumbles out an ‘I guess so…’ before silence takes over their conversation. Ruby gently takes Leah’s hand and they walk back to their own room, making Leah pray Ruby can’t feel how fast her heart was beating. Leah’s hands were as cold as always, it felt nice feeling Ruby’s warmth each time she held her hand.

 

Ruby closes the door to their room and lets go of Leah’s hand. Leah frowns in disappointment but it’s hidden from the lack of light. She was still awestruck from the performance Ruby gave and wondered whether there was some hidden meaning behind it all. “Ruby, what was the hamster supposed to represent?”

 

Leah can see Ruby’s head tilt through the darkness because of her glowing eyes. Ruby hums in thought, “I think the hamster was supposed to represent you, actually.”

 

“M-me?”

 

Ruby nods, “I didn’t plan anything in advance, but I went with that I was feeling at the time and I was focused on you, so it kind of came together that way…”

 

That made Leah’s jaw drop. Ruby was thinking about her? During a time like that? She felt a mixture of emotions she’s never felt before. “I guess that makes sense. Uh, thanks.”

 

Ruby giggles shyly, “N-no need to thank me.”

 

Desperate to change the subject, Ruby glances around the room to change the conversation, her eyes land on the two futons that were side by side. Since Ruby started holding Leah’s hand as they slept, Ruby always found herself waking up next to Leah. To her surprise, Leah didn’t say anything about it, and even suggested having the futons closer to each other so Ruby wouldn’t end up half on the floor. “We should head to bed early, we’ve still got practice tomorrow with the children, remember?”

 

“Ah, you’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve slept this early though, I might have some trouble sleeping.” Leah sees Ruby pout, she sighs. “And don’t worry, I won’t sneak out to practice again.”

 

“I-I’ll make sure you don’t, even Yoshiko-chan says you need rest! Come here, this’ll help you sleep for sure.” Ruby motions for Leah to stay in her futon.

 

“Wh-wh-what are you doing, that isn’t going to help me at all!”

 

“Really? I always felt better when my sister held me in her arms, and even you said you Sarah-san helped you out by holding your hand through nightmares.” Ruby pauses, “... Or is it because you’re uncomfortable with me?”

 

Leah shakes her head, “No! It’s not that… It’s just…”

 

“It’s just?”

 

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

 

“You can tell me, Leah.”

 

Leah scratches the back of her neck and grumbles, her voice a bit more quiet than usual. “This may sound weird to you but, I’ve never really had someone else to…” It takes a moment for Ruby to realize what Leah was saying when she doesn’t finish her sentence.

 

“Oh… I see. Well, I haven’t really had anyone other than my sister to cuddle with either, but-” Leah internally screams when Ruby pulls her arm so she could snuggle up to her. “-you never know unless you try!”

 

“Ruby, this is embarrassing!”

 

“Sure it is, Leah. If you don’t want it I can stop, but just give me a few minutes to rest my eyes.”

 

“Tch, fine. Make it quick.”

 

“Alright.” Ruby hums and closes her eyes, pulling Leah closer.

 

Leah’s stiff stature softens as she feels the warmth of Ruby’s arms around her. Ruby had Leah right above her chest, which made it easier for Leah to feel her breathing and heartbeat. After ensuring that Ruby was asleep, Leah carefully snuggles closer to Ruby, gently pressing her palm against Ruby’s back and drawing circles absentmindedly. “You’re such an idiot, Ruby, exposing yourself like this to an enemy…”

 

Leah flinches in surprise when she hears Ruby’s soft chuckle, “You’re not my enemy, Leah. You’re my friend.” Leah blushes red to her ears, she wonders how a girl could be so precious.

 

“Ruby?”

 

“Mm, what is it?”

 

“Thank you, as always.”

 

Ruby holds Leah closer and smiles. “Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

The expanse of the snowy environment Leah was in makes her realize it was a dream within seconds. She wasn’t cold, or rather, she didn’t feel anything at all. But even in this lucid state of dreaming and being aware, she couldn’t bring herself to wake up.

 

She doesn’t feel a hand that tugs at her in the dream, but it was almost like her eyes were forced to follow any signs of movement. The hand belonged to none other that Ruby, who seemed more confused than Leah was. Leah had many questions, but the first one that popped into her head was-

 

“Are you the real Leah, or one that I made up?”

 

“I was about to ask you the same thing. But it seems you’ve answered my question instead.”

 

“Um, are we in a dream?”

 

“I believe so.”

 

“But how? I’ve never heard of anyone being able to link dreams together in the textbooks I’ve read.”

 

A voice from behind them speak, “That’s because this is the first time it’s been done, and thankfully, it worked.”

 

Ruby and Leah turn their heads to see Sarah and Dia, who were on the other side of an endless ice wall. Ruby attempts to use her fire to launch herself to the other side, but Dia catches her attention before she could reach the top. “Ruby! Don’t do that. This ice is the only way our kidnappers won’t be able to sense something suspicious and track you two down.”

 

Ruby sheepishly lands back on the floor, “I’m sorry sis. I miss you.”

 

Dia smiles, “I miss you too, Ruby, but we have larger matters to discuss with the both of you and our time is running out. I’m sure Mari’s ordered a couple of people to scout for us, am I correct?”

 

Ruby nods, “General You-san and Riko-san are out on a mission just for that.”

 

Dia clicks her tongue, “That won’t help, there are two dragons that have us hidden in the mountains. There’s another one on the loose, but left the group because they started fighting-”

 

Leah interrupts Dia, “Wait a minute, you’re being held captive by _dragons_?” She turns her head towards her sister, who’s been silent for a while. “Sister, is this true? Did they hurt you at all?”

 

Sarah speaks, “It’s unfortunately true. They have us under strict supervision and won’t tell us anything. All they’ve done so far is interrogate us, but other than one of them retaliating against Dia when she attacked, they haven’t harmed us in any way.”

 

Dia clears her throat to bring the attention back to her, “But we’re none of your concern right now. We’re here to tell you that the dragon’s reason for attacking villages is because they’re looking for a dragon that had suddenly vanished from their group.”

 

Leah scoffs in confusion, “Wouldn’t a dragon be easy to spot due to their large size? There’s no way you could miss something as large as a house.”

 

Sarah sighs, “Well, we’ve found out the hard way that they could shapeshift into humans. I was able to eavesdrop in one of their conversations before Dia woke up. I don’t know the details clearly, but apparently two of the dragons they’re friends with are destroying villages trying to search for a dead dragon’s body.”

 

Dia tugs at Sarah’s arm, “We have to go soon, any longer than this and the dragon’s taking us hostage will find out. Are there any last questions?”

 

Ruby was about to speak, but Leah puts a hand over her mouth so her question could be answered first. “Where is the dead dragon?”

 

Dia and Sarah both shake their heads. Sarah speaks, “All we know is that someone had stolen the dragon’s heart, it’s been missing since then.”

 

Ruby lifts the hand Leah’s had on her mouth. “Wh-when’s the next time we can see you?”

Dia and Sarah glance and each other, Dia gives an apologetic smile. “I can only reassure our survival for now, but maybe if our hearts are connected, we will be able to.”

 

Leah can see Ruby hold back a sob, hell, even her own eyes were watering. “I’ll watch over Ruby for you, Dia-san.”

 

Dia raises an eyebrow in disbelief, Leah assumes it's because she wasn't expecting Leah to say something so affectionate, but thankfully Dia doesn’t question it. “Well, I’ll leave her in your hands then, Leah-chan.”

 

The ice between them vanishes for a moment, but before Leah and Ruby could run to their older sisters, they were brought back from their dream to the real world. Leah rubs her eyes, she’s only half surprised when she finds there were tears in them.

 

Leah realizes after a moment that Ruby had gotten up first, she was curled into a ball, sobbing silently. Leah hesitates for only a second before she wraps the blanket they shared together around Ruby, giving her a hug and several pats on the back.

 

Ruby leans into Leah and it takes a while for her to stop crying. “L-Leah… I can’t believe our sisters are being held captive by dragons.”

 

“Me neither, but that means that we need to tell Yoshiko-chan and Maru-chan about this tomorrow.”

 

A voice calls out to them from their open window, a set of wings distinguished by the moonlight immediately told Leah who it was. “Did someone call for the great Yohane?”

 

Leah glares at her, she was annoyed by both Yoshiko’s grand entrance and losing her intimate moment with Ruby. “Yeah. Bring Hanamaru-chan here and we’ll sit down and talk.”

 

Yoshiko furrows her brows in confusion. “Wh-why do I have to bring in Maru? A fallen angel like me shouldn’t be given orders to when-”

 

“It’s urgent. It’s about our older sisters and…” Leah hesitates for a second before finishing her sentence, prepared for Yoshiko to laugh at her for what she says next. “Something concerning a dragon’s heart being missing.”

 

The silence that comes with her last statement made her nerves rush with anxiety. But when Yoshiko slumps her shoulders and pulls her fallen angel facade off of herself, Leah becomes surprised beyond belief.

 

Yoshiko nods then, a sense of maturity that Leah’s never seen on her (not that she’d seen a lot of Yoshiko anyways) showed through her demeanor. “Got it. I’ll bring Maru-” Leah blinks and furrows her eyebrows _, when did Yoshiko give Hanamaru a nickname?_ She had no clue. “-and you better tell the whole story, okay?”

 

“Then make sure you and Hanamaru-san get comfortable, because this'll be a hell of a story.”

 

* * *

 

Mari wakes up in a cold sweat.

 

The first thing Mari notices is the softness of the hand of the person she loved, but her heart breaks a little when she realizes it wasn’t warm. She feels tears well up in her eyes and a pang in her chest she’s felt since the day she found out she’d lost them.

 

Mari could still hear Yoshiko’s voice when she’d informed her:

 

_“Matsuura Kanan, general of the Uranohoshi, has lost their life in combat.”_

 

Of course… It was normal for a general to die in war- the fact that Kanan was able to persevere through everything, even though she was human, was impressive.

 

But Kanan’s abilities were all brought down by her fragile nature. The fragile nature of being… human. Mari wishes Kanan was like her- an elf that could live five times as long as a human could. Instead, she’s been wasting her tears away because she’d lost the love of her life.

 _That’s not true,_ Mari reassures herself. She was going to bring back Kanan no matter what.

 

Mari goes over a bookshelf and touches her finger on one of the books. She takes a breath and reshapes the metal cover to something more convenient: a key to the door on the other side of the bookshelf. Opening it didn’t seem like much, it was just a titanium safe with no locks and a large anti-spirit bearing engraved on its front. But for a skilled spatiomancer like herself, it takes her a couple of minutes to rearrange the composition of the locking mechanisms inside before the safe’s door pops open.

 

Out with it revealed a beating heart. It was similar to a human heart, the only differences being it had veins that glowed each time it pumped and its form was coated by shiny crystals. Mari stared at it for a while, mesmerized by a heart that could still be alive without the support of a body.

 

It wasn’t even a full heart. It was only half of it. But half was enough, it had to be. If she had taken any more of it, the dragon she’d stolen it from would have died.

 

She takes it from the capsule gently, as if carrying a newborn baby, and walks over to Kanan’s corpse that had been preserved for nearly six months. Mari had practiced bringing animals back to life and researched as much as she could about human revival, but none of those months could have prepared her for this. Luck had to be on her side, or it would have all been in vain.

 

Mari’s nervous hands stop shaking when moonlight from her window hits the heart, showing the full extent of its beauty. It was like the heart was _eager_ to settle into its new home after so many months of being locked away in her safe.

 

The resolve in her grows as the magic in her hands envelope the half heart in yellow light and magic.

 

“Here goes nothing.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note so people won’t be confused:  
> Dia and Ruby are human pyromancers. Leah and Sarah are human cyromancers. Yoshiko is a winged necromancer, Hanamaru is a half elf telemancer. Kanan, You, and Chika are humans that have no powers. Riko is a human alchemist and Mari is an elf spatiomancer. The nine muses are dragons heehee.


	4. Awaken the Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite all things that are fixed, other things are destroyed as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer than the usual, nearing 8k words. I decided to extend it for being on another two month hiatus, but I hope to cut it down to at least a month between chapter releases!

Raindrops hit the back of General You’s armor and seeped into her clothes. She wishes she had an umbrella to keep her uniform from getting soaked, instead she’ll just have to pray she doesn’t get a cold by the next morning.

 

A tap on the shoulder makes her turn around, Riko was holding out an umbrella. You hurriedly goes under the umbrella with Riko, muttering a thanks as they walk back to their horses.

 

Just like the town she’d been in from her last mission, there was a heavy silence that settled in the empty marshes. Falling ashes and several flickers of golden flames scattered through the burnt houses were the only signs of movement You could see.

 

“Have you found any new leads from the map?”

 

General You stared at the map with frustration. The map You and Riko followed were based on what Mari gave them, which could only provide so much information.

 

“No. Have you received anything from Empress Mari or Yoshiko-san?”

 

Riko sighs, “Not Mari-san yet, but I’m expecting an update from Yoshiko soon- ah, speak of the devil. Here it comes now.”

 

“Wh-what…?”

 

“Look up.”

 

You sees Riko staring at a crow in the sky, it only takes a few seconds before she realizes it was a messenger bird. The crow lands swiftly on Riko’s arm (how the crows talons didn’t hurt her, You didn’t know), she takes the pouch from the bird’s back and lets it fly once again. You comes a little closer to Riko and leans over her to read the letter she received:

 

_To Lily,_

 

_I’ve just learned from Ruby and Leah that their sisters, Kurosawa Dia and Kazuno Sarah, have established a way to communicate with them through some form of lucid telepathy. Though it was brief, they’ve admitted to being captured by dragons. There are more than one still alive, apparently, and they have the ability to shapeshift into humans. The current whereabouts of the sisters are unknown, but they’ve assured the two younger ones that the dragons are not holding them hostage with the intent of hurting or killing them._

_The dragons are attacking the villages because they’re searching for one of the dragon’s heart. It seems someone had killed a dragon and stolen it, so they don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. I’m trying to get a hold of Empress Mari so we could let her know as soon as possible, but none of my messenger crows are reaching her. I think I’ll try asking Hanamaru-san to transport me there, just for a bit._

_P.S. I’ve attached another map I’ve drawn out myself from the research I gathered during my time here. Make sure you two tread carefully._

_If you do find Dia and Sarah, please return to Uranohoshi Dynasty and bring them to Empress Mari immediately._

 

_Sending you my regards,_

_Fallen Angel Yohane_

 

At the bottom of the letter was the folded map, its corners waxed to stick onto the letter itself. You plucks it off and opens it, revealing an overview of the nine kingdoms and circles to highlight the dragon’s lairs. Several parts of the map had short pieces of advice on where to cut corners and which places were more dangerous than others, just to make sure You and Riko stayed safe.

 

You gapes at all the notes Yoshiko listed on the map. “She sure knows her stuff, huh.”

 

“Though she acts like an idiot, she’s definitely a veteran when it comes to scheming.” Riko folds the map and places it in her pocket to avoid it getting wet from the rain. “This’ll help us find Sarah-san and Dia-san.”

 

“I sure hope it does.”  

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you want to do this zura?”

 

“Yes Maru, I’m sure.”

 

The two girls were squatted facing the opposite direction of each other in Yoshiko’s darkened room. The only source of light that penetrated through the darkness was from the moon, which seeped from the window and illuminated the center where the both of them sat. Books about teleportation, spilled potions, and magic dust were organized in a fashion that fit the dangerous ritual they were about to perform.

 

After Leah and Ruby spilled what they had to say about their sisters the other night, Yoshiko had a lingering feeling that something was… out of place. Ever since Mari sent all of them away on separate missions, she’d lost all contact with her and couldn’t even reach her through messenger crows. Normally, Mari was cordial enough to at least send a prompt message back that she’d received it, but she hadn’t gotten a note back from the empress in weeks.

 

Yoshiko feared that the dragons had invaded the kingdom and was the reason why Mari couldn’t reach her. She had to teleport back to the kingdom to know for certain that the empress and her kingdom were okay.

 

Hanamaru scratches the back of her neck and mutters, “It’s been a while since I’ve used teleportation magic since Mari discourages it zura. I hope you’ll get out unscathed.”

 

“Well, we have no other option than to do it this way. If you do kill me I can just resurrect myself through one of my crows. I’ve done it multiple times before.”

 

“Uh… that sounds like quite a hobby, but I’m relieved that my failure doesn’t mean you die too zura.”

 

Yoshiko gives a smug smirk, “Try not to kill me though, dying still feels incredibly painful, you know.”

 

Hanamaru chuckles, “Got it. Are you ready zura?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Holding out both of her hands, Hanamaru placed glowing dust in one of Yoshiko’s right palm and a potion in the other. Hanamaru placed her thumbs on Yoshiko’s wrists and chanted a spell with only a whisper, she began to spread the dust on her shoulders and spill the potion on her head. Yoshiko winces when she feels the liquid trickle down her face, “Is this part really necessary?”

 

“Yes, but don’t worry zura. I’m almost done.”

 

Yoshiko feels Hanamaru’s palm touch the top of her chest and at that point she could only hear the other girl’s breathing slowly fading away as the silence grew louder and louder.

 

“Have a safe trip zura!”

 

A snap of the fingers startles Yoshiko and she opens her eyes to find herself inside the main room of Empress Mari’s castle. Looking around, she couldn’t find a trace of movement, light, or warmth that the castle normally provided. Using her wings, she flew through each part of the castle to check for any signs of life. Instead, she was met with an increasing amount of cold and the sound of her own wings flapping echoing throughout the empty halls. The situation was a lot worse than she’d thought.

 

When she took a peek outside the window, however, the kingdom seemed eerily normal. All parts of the town were still bustling and she could see the villagers still going about their everyday lives as if nothing was wrong.

 

As she flew higher into the castle, she decided to go through all the rooms to look for Mari. The last two rooms decided to go to were Mari’s office and her bedroom.

 

Opening the door of her office, she half expected Mari to greet her with a cheery “Welcome back, Yoshiko-chan~!” and the other half thought she’d find Mari’s corpse laying on the floor. To her relief (and dismay), Mari was nowhere to be found and the room was left the way she saw it-

 

Other than the bookshelf that was moved to the side. Displaying a secret, opened safe.

 

Examining it, she realized the safe could only be opened by a skilled spatiomancer elf like Mari. The locks had to be transformed and reshaped in order to unlock it, and no spirit or power could destroy the safe since it was made of titanium. The safe held nothing inside it, but there was an unsettling aura around the safe that made Yoshiko shiver.

 

The last place was Mari’s bedroom, a place where no one was permitted to enter- not even the maids or the cleaning staff. Mari assured she kept her room clean and bolted the doors so no one could come in. Luckily, Yoshiko’s mischievous nature has led her to sneak into the room a couple of times just to take a peek, so she knows exactly how to get inside.

 

Mari’s room was incredibly spacious, it amazed Yoshiko even after her multiple (secret) visits to it. The first floor was dedicated to her studies and managing the kingdom, it was messy but Mari was always able to get things finished on time and find what she needs within her pile in seconds.

 

Moving through the mess and careful not to make a sound, she flew up the stairs to Mari’s actual bedroom. Yoshiko took a note that it felt much colder than it did just minutes ago, she swears she could see her own breath.

 

Yoshiko froze and landed on the floor when she saw two figures that stared at the view outside from the balcony.

 

“Oh, Yoshiko-chan? You’re back early.”

 

“M-Mari… you…”

 

Yoshiko’s eyes gravitated to the third person in the room, the long indigo ponytail instantly told her who it was. The girl turned around slowly and her violet eyes met with Yoshiko’s pink ones. Instead of the warmth Yoshiko saw from her gaze when she’d last seen her, it felt empty and lifeless. Looking further down her body, her chest was slightly torn open with a beating form covered in shiny crystals covering the hole.

 

The scroll that had an image of a person holding a dragon’s heart flashed within her mind. Everything clicked at once.

 

_"We might be dealing with a thief that’s stolen a dragon’s heart.”_

 

“You’re the one who stole it.”

 

“I didn’t steal it, I _won_ it.” Mari’s surprised expression is quickly replaced by a desperate smile, Yoshiko’s gut instantly fills up with disgust. She walks towards Mari with an angry stride and pulls on her collar, despite Mari being taller Yoshiko still lifts the empress off her feet by a couple of inches.

 

“I can’t believe I gave you all those books about necromancy without realizing it earlier. Do you know what this means? Do you even know how much _fucking_ damage you caused?”

 

“It was all for her, Yoshiko. You wouldn’t understand-”

 

Yoshiko punches Mari’s face hard enough to leave a bruise.

 

“YOU’RE RISKING THE LIVES OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR KINGDOM JUST FOR HER. OF COURSE I WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND!”

 

Mari breaks loose from Yoshiko’s grip and kicks her stomach, sending Yoshiko flying into a wall. Yoshiko wipes her mouth as she coughs, her palm had blood smeared on it. Yoshiko glares at her, “I know I’ve been your advisor for two centuries now, but I still can't believe what you've done. Why would you do this? Have you gone insane?”

 

The empress refused to meet her gaze, “It was a promise. I promised to rule this kingdom with her, to create a new world where different species can coexist and love each other.”

 

“But that didn’t mean you had to go out of your way to bring her back from the dead, let alone make her immortal. Your kingdom, the one your lineage took so long to create, will be gone because you decided to take down a _dragon_!”

 

“The reason why my family is dead is because of dragons, Yoshiko. If anything, my parents would be proud of me finally taking them down.”

 

“I-I… Wh-”

 

Before Yoshiko could respond, Mari lunged at her and held her wings with vicious strength. Yoshiko yelped as she heard the bones in her left wing crack under Mari’s grip.

 

“There’s no possible way anyone will be able to get into this kingdom after all of this is over. I already have all of Uranohoshi’s army guarding the entrances to watch out for you and the dragons, as well as a forcefield to make sure you guys cannot enter. Forgive me Yoshiko, but I can’t let you stand in my way any longer.”

 

Yoshiko smirks, “Heh… I’m not the only one who’ll oppose you after all of this gets revealed.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“See you later, Mari. Zuramaru, take me back!”

 

_Got it, Yoshiko!_

 

Another snap of the fingers takes her back to the room she’d been in with Hanamaru. Yoshiko opened her eyes and wiped more blood from her mouth, she could feel a jolt of pain growing from Mari breaking her left wing. Yoshiko’s knees gave in, the only thing stopping her from landing face down on the floor was Hanamaru catching her before she could fall.

 

“A-are you alright zura? What happened?”

 

“My wing is broken, but other than that I’m fine- wait. Did You-san and Riko-san receive the letter already?”

 

“It’s been three days so… I think they may have? Why do you ask zura?”

 

Yoshiko clenches her fist and hits her leg in frustration. “ _Shit!_ I need to send them another letter so they won’t back to Mari, they _can’t_ go back to Mari. Flying to them would be useless now too, now that my wing is broken…”

 

“Yoshiko?”

 

Yoshiko shakes her head and groans, “No time to explain, bring Leah and Ruby here. We need to talk immediately.”

 

* * *

 

Leah’s arms were somewhat sore as she carried one of the orphan children to an empty bench away from the practice grounds. It was easy for her to hold lightweight objects, like the child she had now, but after having to transport twelve or more kids to rest in open places did make her a little more worn out than she’d like to admit.

 

She could hear Ruby giggle behind her, a smile instantly tugs at her lips. Leah tries to conceal it and instead focuses on the child in her arms, who was trying to pull on her pigtail.

 

“Having trouble there, Leah?”

 

“Ah, shut up. I’ve dealt with worse.”

 

It’s been a couple of days since Leah began helping Ruby train the Takami residence’s orphans to help them harness their powers. It was a slower process than Leah initially thought, but signs of improvement noticeably showed. Other than training with the kids, Leah noticed she was more in sync with Ruby and the same could be said about the pyromancer. It was almost like they were their own unit now. Each time they sparred, Leah observed and adopted the movements most pyromancers used- versatile and quick. Ruby’s also taken up the cyromancer’s power stances and accuracy.

 

Ruby takes the child from her arms and settles them down on the bench. Leah sighs in relief and fixes her messy pigtail.

 

“Is this the last of them?”

 

Ruby nods and pats the kids head, “I’m sure it is, the rest of them are still busy training.”

 

“I’m glad. If I had to carry one more child I would’ve started tossing them instead of taking all this time to go back and forth.”

 

Ruby pouts, “Leeaaah!”

 

“Geez, I was joking!”

 

A gust of wind makes the child on the bench yelp and the two mancers cover their eyes, Leah creates a protective ice barrier around the three of them. “I swear to god if that’s Yoshiko messing with us I’ll-”

 

“No, it’s not. Her wingspan isn’t large enough to create this much power…” Ruby crouches and asks the child to gather up the other orphans and return to the orphanage. The child whimpers a little but nods in compliance, running towards the forest where the other children were. Once the child vanishes, Ruby stands up from her position and runs to Leah. “Have you found the source of the wind yet?”

 

“No… but it’s coming from the opposite direction of the orphanage and getting closer.”

 

“A-alright, we should go investigate.”

 

As they head down the road to the source of the winds, both of them hide behind large rocks covered in moss to prevent being blown away from its power. Ruby feels goosebumps on her arms, not good. “Ruby, can you spot anything from here? Any further than this and we’ll get blown away!”

 

Ruby tries to peer from the top of the mossy rock, causing the surging winds to suddenly stop. She looks back and forth from the forest clearing to Leah, who was straightening out her messy pigtails frustratingly. “What’s happening? Why did the wind clear up?”

 

“Don’t know yet… I can’t see anything-”

 

A light sparks from the distance, its golden glow coming rapidly closer and Ruby barely registers it was a ball of fire before Leah pushes her down. It hits the tree behind them, causing it to set on fire with a golden glow. “L-Leah?”

 

“How did you not see that coming?! You’re lucky I heard the blast before it hit you-”

 

Both of them yelp when another burst of fire spreads and hits the rock, casting the moss alight. They run to look for more cover before realizing most of the forest around their area was already in flames. Out of the smoke and golden light, appears a black dragon with red eyes. Ruby swears she sees a smugness in the dragon’s eyes, if that was even possible.

 

Leah curses under her breath, “Ruby, we have nowhere to run. What do we do?”

 

“I…” Ruby’s gaze moves from Leah’s eyes to the dragon's. “I think we should talk to it.”

 

“What?! Are you insane?”

 

“That the dragon purposely spared our lives, I know it did. I’m sure it has seen us running through the forest if it was flying, it could have just killed us then but it didn’t.” Ruby goes closer to the dragon, formally bows, and tries to shake off the nerves of giving the dragon an introduction. “Um, hello there! I’m K-Kurosawa Ruby… We have a question for you!”

 

Leah rolls her eyes, “Please Ruby, there’s no way that dragon can speak-”

 

Almost as if to interrupt Leah, a pink glow wraps around the dragon’s body, shrinking it until it was the size of a human similar to their height. Out from the glow reveals a petite girl wearing pigtails of black hair and glowing crimson eyes. The smugness that Ruby saw in her eyes showed brightly in her smile, “You were saying?”

 

Leah was at a loss for words, but Ruby continued on. “What is your name?”

 

The girl makes a pose: two peace signs and a cutesy smile. “Yazawa Nico. The greatest dragon in the universe, Nico!”

 

Leah tugs at Ruby’s arm and whispers, “She’s a weird one. Are all dragons like this?” Ruby just shrugs. “Yazawa-san, please tell us why you’re attacking our village.”

 

Nico hums, “It’s because I was looking for you Kurosawa Ruby-” She also points at Leah, who was hiding behind Ruby and glaring at her. “-and Kazuno Leah. You should know why us dragons are attacking villages too, since you were able to contact your sisters.”

 

Leah’s mouth drops, “How did you know?”

 

“Don’t think the other dragons that captured your sisters weren’t able to sense it. Once I returned to their hideout, they told me exactly where to go once they figured out your location from the telepathic transmission. Worry not though, we won’t hurt them because they just gave away your location without knowing.”

 

Ruby felt relief despite her anxiety. She didn’t know for sure if the dragon would keep her word, but any kind of reassurance was, well, something at least. Leah stepped up from behind Ruby to speak, “What do you want from us, then?”

 

“I just want you to come to the hideout with me. If you let me capture you without any protest, then everything will go smoothly.”

 

 “What if we don’t?”

 

Ruby was about to protest Leah refusing to comply with the dragon’s request, but realized what she meant at that moment. Having the Kazuno and Kurosawa heirs gone was already bad enough, if Leah and Ruby were captured both clans would descend into chaos. Nico didn’t seem to understand that. Of course she couldn’t, she was a dragon after all.

 

“Very well then, I’ll just have to capture you two by force.”

 

The ground shook as girl’s body glowed until she transformed back into her dragon form. Leah grabbed Ruby’s arm and ice formed from her legs to her feet. Using the same motions an ice skater would, Leah started zooming through the forest with Ruby on her back.

 

“Wh-where are we going?” Ruby shouted, hoping Leah could hear her even with the blazing fires and wind taking her voice away.

 

“To the lake! It’ll be easier to avoid collateral damage with the Takami orphanage out of our way.”

 

“Ah, alright- Look out!”

 

Leah took a side step that narrowly avoided a tree being hurled at them. Looking behind, Ruby sees that the dragon wasn’t too far away. “Leah, she’s-”

 

“Don’t worry Ruby, we’re almost there!”

 

As they exit the opening of trees, a loud blast throws them off balance, making both of them land in the lake. Ruby looks around to find Leah and sees her unconscious, sinking further into the waters. Swimming towards the Leah, she checks her pulse to confirm she was alive and to Ruby’s relief, she was.

 

_Come on Leah, wake up!_

 

Ruby pinches her cheek to get a response. Registering the fact that they were sinking even further into the dark waters, Ruby realizes she had no choice but to bring her back before they drown.

 

Bringing Leah’s head towards hers, Ruby’s lips meet Leah’s and she seals it like a kiss. A purple spark wraps around them and it makes Ruby flinch in surprise, but ignores it and quickly goes back to the task. Ruby blows air into Leah’s mouth and pumps her chest to get Leah’s lungs to work once more. Each time she did so, the sparks of lightning grew longer and brighter.

 

Just before Ruby ran out of air, Leah coughed out and opened her eyes once again. Ruby grabs Leah’s torso and brings the both of them back to the surface by using her fire to boost upwards. Leah handles the landing by using her powers to transform the area of the lake they were standing on into ice.

 

“Th-thanks Ruby, was I out for long?”

 

“No, but I’m glad you’re ali-”

 

Ruby’s sentence was interrupted once she saw the dragon hovering above the lake. The dragon mustered a fireball from its mouth and hurled it towards them. Like the last attack, they only dodge it by a small margin by steering the fragment of ice they were standing on away from it.

 

Ruby tries to throw as much fire as Leah did with her ice, but to no one’s surprise, it did very little damage to the dragon.

 

“Crap… I don’t think our powers will be able to defeat it.”

 

“Wait Leah-” Ruby reaches out to place her hands on top of hers and grips it tightly. “- I have an idea.”

 

Leah blushes furiously, “Wh-what does it have to do with you holding my hands?”

 

“You’ll see. I discovered something when we were under the lake but I can’t really explain it yet. Anyways, while the dragon recharges to make another fireblast, put as much ice energy into my hands and I’ll do the same with my fire energy. I’ll countdown from ten seconds before we aim both of our hands towards the dragon.”

 

“Won’t that just create a lot of water?”

 

Ruby shakes her head and gives Leah a reassuring smile, “Just trust me, okay?”

 

Leah shrugs, “Whatever you say, Ruby.” She places as much grip on Ruby’s hands as she could. From the corner of her eye, Ruby could see the dragon beginning to charge up for its next blast. Ruby’s eyes lock onto Leah’s, “We’ll start now, Leah. Ten…”

 

The force of fire and ice combined drew shockwaves in the water. Leah’s hands glowed a light blue hue and Ruby’s a yellow hue, which also resonated in their mythical artifacts. Despite the amount of power in their shaky grasps, both parties felt no pain- rather, energy began to surge through their bodies.

 

“Nine… eight… seven-”

 

“Ruby, I feel something but all that’s appearing in our hands is melted water…”

 

“J-Just a bit further Leah and… there it is!”

 

Sparks envelope their arms and electricity zaps fly in the air. Leah widens her eyes in wonder when she sees that the clouds above them have turned into grey and sounds of thunder echo through the lake. Leah begins to count down with Ruby.

 

“Six… Five… Four…”

 

A bolt of lightning strikes from the clouds and hits directly between the two girls’ hands. It didn’t hurt them, but rather they absorbed the lightning's energy until it covered their forms with a bright white glow. The dragon caught notice of the darkened skies, quickly finished charging their blast, and blew it towards Leah and Ruby.

 

“Three…”

 

In sync with the other, they let go and aimed their hands directly at the dragon’s fireball. It was as if night turned into day as they were surrounded by the electricity’s bright light.

 

“Two…”

 

Ruby notices that the lightning changed from white to violet the longer they held it.

 

_Violet lightning, it had a nice ring to it._

 

 “...One!”

 

The sound of thunder shot through the lake and almost made the young mancers deaf from its intensity. The violet lightning they fired into the fireball destroyed it and hit the dragon’s chest, causing it to fall midair due to the lightning’s shock. The dragon’s form glows once again until it becomes human and splashes into the lake.

 

Ruby tugs Leah’s arm, “Save her!”

 

“R-right.”

 

Leah takes a step forward, closes her eyes, and raises her arm. Seconds later, a sheet of ice with Nico’s unconscious form rises to the surface. Even from this distance, Ruby can still see sparks of violent electricity snake around her chest. Stepping off the ice and back on land, Leah meets Ruby’s gaze once more. “Where do we bring her?”

 

“Probably to Empress Mari. She’s the only one who can handle a being this powerful-”

 

Something grabs on Ruby’s shoulder and she half expects it to be another dragon in human form, but to her relief it was just an exhausted Hanamaru. “I couldn’t teleport since I had no idea where you were, so I ran through the forest and saw all the wreckage. Are you guys alright zura?”

 

“We knocked out this dragon so-” Leah’s eyes widened, as if hearing it from her own mouth surprised her as well.

 

“Y-you guys did…?” Hanamaru peers over Ruby’s shoulder, her face expressing doubt. “Isn’t that just a little girl zura?”

 

“It’s a long story. Did you come to tell us something though, Hanamaru-chan?”

 

“Ah, Yoshiko has something important to tell us. She would have wanted to personally come to you but her wing was broken after I teleported her back from the kingdom. I can teleport us to her at once zura!” Hanamaru takes out a potion filled with glowing dust and throws it on Ruby, Leah, and Nico.

 

A snap of Hanamaru’s fingers take the four of them back to Yoshiko’s room. They all land with a thud on arrival. In front of them was Yoshiko, squatted and chuckling to herself. “Well, that took you long enough-”

 

Leah interrupts Yoshiko with a stomp. “Okay spill the information quickly so we can send this dragon to Mari before it awakes.”

 

Yoshiko blinks confusedly and looks at the unconcious girl with alarm. “Wh- wh… a dragon? Here? Is _that_ girl the dragon?” Yoshiko pinches the bridge of her nose, processing what Leah said. “Okay, anyways, don’t bring her back to Mari. She’s the dragon heart thief.”

 

The whole room gasps in surprise. Ruby chuckles nervously, “Please tell me you’re joking, Yoshiko-chan…”

 

“I’m not. Mari broke my wing after I found out and I almost didn’t make it back alive. She’s currently setting up a forcefield and arming the knights to make sure none of us get inside the kingdom.”

 

Maru looks at the ground dejectedly, “But, why would she do such a thing zura?”

 

Yoshiko curls her fists, her expression filled with disgust. “It was for Kanan. Mari had kept Kanan’s dead body so she could resurrect and be together with her.”

 

Ruby couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d known Mari and Kanan had an intimate relationship before Kanan died, but was it really justified to revive her?

 

Leah sighs tiredly, “So we can’t hand over the dragon to her and now we’ve got the whole Uranohoshi Dynasty against us. I say we go to Seisen Kingdom and ask for help there.”

 

Yoshiko eyes Leah with doubt, “Won’t they kill us on the spot?”

 

“I’ll talk to the Kazuno clan and ask for their protection. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

 

Yoshiko shrugs, “If you say so.”

 

Leah nods and meets her gaze with Ruby, “Are you alright Ruby? You’ve been silent for a while.”

 

“Should we tell them?”

 

“About what- oh… Right.” Several eyes look at the both of them curiously. “We were able to take down the dragon using violet lightning.” Leah takes Ruby’s hand and holds it, from the energy both parties gave, sparks of electricity flew between them. Leah lets go of her hand as quickly as she held it. Ruby smiles when she saw a faint blush form on the girl’s cheeks.

 

The memory of Ruby kissing Leah under the lake suddenly flashes within her mind and she finds herself blushing as red as Leah was. She can’t tell her about that just yet, her heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

 

Leah coughs and continues speaking, “If we run into any trouble with the dragons again, Ruby and I can use our combined powers to take them down.”

 

“That’s a relief to hear. I’ve been waiting to get out of this cramped space without the fear of a dragon burning me to a crisp for a while now.” Yoshiko gets up and stretches, “With all that covered, I declare our leave to travel to Seisen Kingdom starts now!”

 

* * *

 

Sarah’s sleep is interrupted from a nudge to her arm. Opening her eyes, she sees a brunette looming over her with a frown. Sarah found it a little ironic to be working alongside the person she’d been fighting to the death with only a few weeks prior, but if Sarah learned anything from her time being alive, it was that life worked in peculiar ways.

 

The two of them were stuck in the same situation- held hostage by two dragons. They weren’t allowed to leave the room without the dragon’s permission, and even then, it was only for food or bathroom breaks. Both took this time to heal and formulate an action plan instead of fighting against their captors because they knew the dragons could kill both of them with ease.

 

“Did it work or was I just dreaming?”

 

“You tell me. If we were in the same dream, then it did work.”

 

Sarah rose from the futon she was laying in, rubbing her eyes from sleep and clenching her fists to make sure she wasn’t scratching at the healing wounds on her body. Wincing from the pain of the wounds, she settles with clutching at the largest one- located on her abdomen.

 

Dia notices this easily, “Does it still hurt even after drinking the healing potion?”

 

Sarah snickers exhaustedly, “Yes, but this pain is nothing. Your sister’s carbon bomb surprise nearly blew a portion of my stomach open. If anything, I just feel lucky to have survived it.”

 

“Lie down and let me see it.”

 

Sarah gives Dia a skeptical look at first, but lets go of clutching the wound. Dia lifts Sarah’s shirt a bit and unravels the bandages to see the damage and immediately grimaces at the sight of it. The wound had burned a large portion of her stomach, she could still see some raw parts of her flesh trying to heal itself with the ice she placed on it. Dia softly hovers her hands over the wound and closes her eyes.

 

“Wh-what are you doing?”

 

“Just watch.”

 

Dia summon flames to her hands and gently traces the wound, making Sarah scream from the excruciating pain. Sarah’s eyes widen in surprise when she sees the gaps in the wound closing and the burn marks becoming less visible. When Dia stops, the wound was already nothing more than a scar. Sarah slumps back into her futon, sighing in relief. “Th-thank you.”

 

Taking clean bandages from the table, Dia helps Sarah wrap them back on her stomach. “It’s not a problem.”

 

Sarah ties the bandage and makes a thin layer of ice on it since the healed wound still stung a little due to Dia’s healing fire. It was better than before though, so Sarah wasn't complaining. In return, Sarah makes Dia stretch out her leg to her and ices several scratches and burns she suffered from fighting the dragon’s minions. Sarah decides to make small talk to drive away the awkward silence between them.

 

“So, what did you have to take down in order to get your powers?”

 

“A Phoenix.” Dia looks up from Sarah’s hands healing her wounds and meets her gaze. “Come to think of it, we broke tradition when I obtained my powers. It was my little sister than actually did the work.”

 

“Your little sister… you mean Ruby-chan?”

 

Dia nods in agreement, “Yes, you see… Our clan’s tradition is to select the two most powerful fighters to capture the feathered flame of the Phoenix once the previous pair dies. Only then can we achieve the ability to manipulate fire from the energy of the sun instead of relying on a lamp chamber.”

 

“That’s similar to ours… except we had to complete the most fatal missions at a given age. We gain our energy to control ice through the moon as well.”

 

“I see. Before I tell you how Ruby and I were able to obtain it, I think you should share yours first.”

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow curiously, “Are you trying to gauge out how impressed I’d be when you tell me?”

 

Dia scoffs, “Not exactly, but go on.”

 

Sarah hums and shifts into a more comfortable to sit, “Well, after being recognized due to our skills, the Kazuno clan chose us to sail the arctic sea to find the Cetus.”

 

“Cetus… the legendary sea monster that lived in the stars?”

 

“Yes. It took nearly three months to find it, and when it did show up we were both completely unprepared for battle. It ended up breaking free from us, but after a week we were able to spot it again and capture it for one of its horns. Once we returned, the elders of the clan shaped it into the crowns we wear now.” Sarah touched the crown on her head, it glowed faintly as she placed her fingers on its outlines.

 

“How were you able to find it?”

 

Sarah nervously laughs, “Are you sure you want to know?”

 

Dia nods and Sarah sighs, “You see… about a week later, we realized we ran out of rations to eat for the crew and ourselves. Leah had the idea of hunting for fishes and any other animal we could eat then cooking them to serve to the ship members.”

 

“Sarah-san… You and Leah know how to cook?”

 

“Of course! Our family runs a family restaurant not far from the Kazuno clan’s residence. Whenever we’re out for a mission, our mother and father fill the positions with other clan members if they’re free for the day.” Sarah blinks, her expression told Dia she caught herself going off track. “But anyways, when we managed to capture enough food and prepared the feast, we didn’t realize that it was almost night… While we were busy eating, it came and we were all caught off guard. It wasn’t soon until we realized what it wanted was food.”

 

“I’m guessing you baited it?”

 

“Precisely that. Leah was quick to wrap up as much of the smoked meat as she could because it gave off the most aroma, I was surprised to see her go off and create a distraction like that all by herself.” Sarah chuckles fondly at the memory. “Imagine witnessing a small girl with a meat sack being chased by a Cetus! That thing was as tall as a tower, I tell you. Seeing it for the first time made me lose the courage to attack it, but Leah was gutsy enough to create a distraction so I could use my powers to render it unconcious.”

 

“Your sister truly has spirit and bravery, doesn’t she?”

 

“She truly does. I reckon your sister is as brave as mine, considering the stunt she pulled on me that blew me away. Literally.”

 

Dia covers her mouth to stop herself from laughing, she never expected Sarah, the frightful and vicious leader of Saint Snow, to be this humorous. “I’m not sure when Ruby became like that, usually she’s quite a shy girl. But I guess I can see it, considering what happened when we tried to take down the Phoenix.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

“Unlike you two, we found the phoenix instantly because it lived on a volcano near our clan. The minute it got there, the phoenix came face to face with us and sat there, just watching us. I tried to attack it with my all, but it kept deflecting my attack with its wings.”

 

“A Phoenix sure is a powerful but merciful beast…”

 

“I was at a loss because all of Ruby and I’s training involved attacking the creature and how to take it down, at some point I just sat there and looked at Ruby. Ruby seemed to be deep in thought and understood what the creature wanted more than I did.”

 

“What did it want?”

 

“It wanted to be entertained.”

 

Sarah’s eyes widened in confusion, “E-entertained?”

 

“Phoenixes are curious creatures that hold their virtues close to their heart. Because of this, they don’t lash out in violence but reward those that they see are noble and pure. Somehow, Ruby was able to get the bird’s attention by singing and dancing, so I decided to do so as well. To this day, I’m still dumbfounded by the fact that the Phoenix gave us its feathers because we satisfied its boredom.”

 

“Wow… that’s quite a story.”

 

“The same could be said about yours. I can’t believe you were able to lure a Cetus through your cooking.”

 

“Haha, it surely did shock me as well. I guess violence isn’t the answer to everything, huh.”

 

“Mhm, that’s surely a lesson our clan should learn from our younger sisters.”

 

Dia instantly regrets mentioning their clan when she sees Sarah’s dejected expression. Silence consumes their conversation once more and Dia almost thinks their brief talk has ended before Sarah speaks again.

 

“Dia-san, do you know why our clans hate each other?”

 

“All I hear about is the century long feud both our clans participated in. I’m sure they had a valid reason for fighting as long as they did.”

 

“But that’s been all over and done with since before we were born. Don’t you think they should apologize and make up with one another? You know, from what I heard, I assumed Inferno Phoenix was a terrorist unit from Uranohoshi. When I first saw you two I was surprised by how sane you both were.”

 

Dia had similar thoughts when it came to Saint Snow. Her initial burning hatred for the group has lessened since she’s met the two. With the short time she’s spent with Sarah, there was a level of understanding they shared from being older sisters and heir to their respective clans. With some hesitation, Dia pats Sarah’s shoulder. “Even if we have to fight each other again, I’m glad to have met you.”

 

Sarah blushes and looks away, caught off guard by Dia’s honesty. She reciprocates the gesture by holding Dia’s hand, “Right back at you.”

 

* * *

 

“Is this the right place?”

 

“I’m sure it is.”

 

“Alright. Tread carefully because we don’t know where the dragons are hiding.”

 

“Make sure you do the same too.”

 

You and Riko arrive right below a cliff of a cottage that supposedly had the captured older sisters. The map Yoshiko sent gave them several locations they’ve searched through before this trip, this was the last one on the list. Light within the cottage told them that people were in it, but whether it was the captured duo or the dragons, they didn’t know.

 

The two ran up the cliff and split their ways when they reached the cottage. As You made her way to the door, Riko climbed the roof and stood near the chimney. The plan was set into stone as soon as You gave the all clear.

 

The general places her helmet on and knocked on the cottage’s front door. A female voice answers, “Who is it?” It’s not a voice You recognizes.

 

“It’s General Watanabe You! I just wanted to confirm the residences living here for the annual kingdom survey.”

 

“Which kingdom are you from, general?”

 

You knows exactly why the voice was asking this question. If she said she were from Uranohoshi or Seisen, they’d know she was looking for Kurosawa Dia and Kazuno Leah. She had to lie to keep herself safe, “I’m from Nijigasaki!”

 

“Oh, very well then. Come in!”

 

You steps back when the door opens and reveals a tall blonde with cerulean eyes. She goes out of the general’s way and leads her to the living room to sit. “Let me introduce myself, I am Eli. There are two other residents here, Maki-” She points at the redhead girl who was eating sushi on the countertop, Maki waves her hand. “-and Nico, who is out doing some errands.”

 

“Huh, I see…” There was a chance this girl was telling the truth, but You could never be too sure. “Would it be alright to go through all the rooms? I just want to make sure you three aren’t doing any criminal activity.”

 

You already suspects she’s hiding something when Eli doesn’t reply immediately. From the periphery of her vision, the redhead walks into one of the rooms with a quick stride. “The rooms are a little messy at the moment, Maki and I will clean them up for a bit-”

 

This wasn’t good, You had to act quickly before the two hide whatever they had.

 

“Wait! Uh, before that, can I get something to drink? The ride here took a while and I’m feeling parched…”

 

Eli opens her mouth to protest, but gives a smile instead. “Ah, of course. I’ll make some right now.”

 

When Eli leaves to go to the kitchen, You runs to the chimney and sprinkles a bit of copper sand on the fire. The color instantly changes from yellow to green, it was You’s signal for Riko to do her job.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

You’s heart races in panic as turns around and sees Maki glaring at her. “I-I just wanted to test my copper sand on the fire, I heard it sells well amongst pyromancer performers-”

 

Maki holds her by the collar of her cape, knocking down the chair she was sitting on. “Enough with the excuses. I know you’re up to something, so spill.”

 

Eli comes out of the kitchen with three drinks in hand. She looks at the scene in front of her with confusion. “U-um, what’s going on Maki?”

 

You nervously laughs. _Now would be a good time for you to show up, Riko!_

 

As if Riko had read You’s mind, a green mist flows from the chimney and covers the whole room in an instant. Both of the girls start coughing and You lands with a thud when Maki loosens the grip she had on her. “You… you tricked us!”

 

You gets up unharmed, she was grateful for the mask Riko gave to prevent the mist’s effects from working on her. “Don’t worry, the mist won’t harm you. It’s just filled with a sleeping potion my friend created. Now, time to look for a certain two people…”

 

Walking over the blonde and redhead, she tries to open the only door that was shut. It was locked. She attempts to knock it down with a kick, but all it does is create a large dent.

 

You huffs, “Stubborn, I see…”

 

“I can help with that.” Riko comes up from behind You, pours liquid on the lock, and sets it on fire. Soon after the lock melts away, Riko pulls on the doorknob and opens it.

 

Inside, they see Dia and Sarah fast asleep due to mists effects. You gasps in relief to see them unharmed, “Thank god we found them! Let’s take them back to Empress Mari’s along with the dragons.”

 

You couldn’t see Riko’s expression because of the mask she wore, but she could tell she was happy with the successful mission. Riko gives You a salute, “Got it!”

 

* * *

 

Going back to Uranohoshi wasn’t at all what You and Riko expected.

 

Entering the gates of her kingdom, there was a lot that You had to take in: the forcefield gradually wrapping around the kingdom’s borders, many villagers running through the towns in panic, and the knights she’d once been in command of were arming themselves to a battle she knew nothing of.

 

But despite all the noticeable chaos, the thing that frightened her the most was seeing Empress Mari in front of the gates, waiting for them. Her solemn smile and bruise on the cheek told You’s instincts that something in Mari has gone terribly wrong.

 

“Mari-san…?”

 

“Oh! You’re just on time. Come inside quick, it’ll be a long time until I open this gate again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I had the idea of underwater CPR for RubyLeah through diving safety measures I learned this summer. I hope I wrote it all accurately!
> 
> I also decided to choose Nico as the dragon Ruby and Leah encountered JUST because it would create the pigtail trio, not to mention Nico would definitely push Leah's buttons easily enough to pick a fight with her.
> 
> P.S. The mythical beast's designs are based off of these pictures:  
> [PHOENIX](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FZusEUSBYOQGmYnH7boerdv-q0fbmE2uUXQ0j9TLjcATNqH_HlTfhn6FpSfBMZYOsmhqVIoROFEJkpw1WO6AxjWpIogoLkgVVORLjSdCsMmQvpzdii2TQG5NjYmh-wUSszu_tnM)  
> [CETUS](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xm_iULsJ9Ui5kZb7wdH0Bbf8HwPf0sIdSQxabrBeihQ8erPHfqUYulkC5409BL_3B1U6Ry7SngV7A5yHgdGpozJnyLFTpWHn0g-IJJGDe0AJE4LtGU7DLzKUI-0YsTYl6cpcCsU)


	5. Kowareyasuki (Fragile Love)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY LATE MENTION BUT MOST OF THE CHARACTER DESIGNS ARE INSPIRED BY REGITIONS FANTASY AQOURS DRAWINGS!! The links are provided in the edited notes from chapter 1. Sadly there is no Saint Snow or Kanan, but I'll provide both of those with my own art ^u^
> 
> Anyways, here's the new chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

**_400 years before present._ **

 

Young elves were always taught to stay within their own realm, live the role they were meant to have, and serve only to benefit themselves. They weren’t exactly cruel, but even as children they were told to keep their distance from any other species. Mari was no exception.

 

“We cannot mingle with other species, honey.”

 

Holding her mother’s hand, Mari walked through the gardens of their castle. It was a vast area filled with the finest rare flowers. Mari always looked forward to visiting the garden when her parents weren’t busy ruling the Ohara kingdom. Her mother holds her hand tighter as they take steps through the bridge, Mari notices little fishes splashing in the pond underneath her.

 

Mari’s eyes glanced up at her mother, filled with questioning. “Why is that?”

 

“You see, the dragons that founded each kingdom forbid it. They fear that our powers combined would be powerful enough to them down, and lead us to corruption.”

 

The harshness of her mother’s words filled her mind with worry. In books and stories she’d heard, the dragons were also muses to everyone. An inspiration that only brought hope and tranquility to the nine kingdoms.

 

“But that doesn’t make any sense, mum. Why would anyone want to take down a dragon?”

 

Mari’s mother pats her head in comfort, “Taking down a dragon would mean being able to have its powers, even half of its heart alone is enough to bring someone back from the dead. There are a lot of bad people in the world, Mari. One day, you’ll be able to understand.” The conversation ends as soon as Mari’s mother finds her father, sitting by the lake and feeding the fishes.

 

Doubt echoes in Mari’s thoughts like the sound of the pond’s fishes splashing in the water. Somewhere inside herself, she hopes she wouldn’t have to.

 

* * *

 

**_385 years before present._ **

 

Mari knew she felt an uneasiness in the air the day she returned to the castle from horseback riding.

 

Tears fell from Mari’s eyes when she sees her mother and father laying on the floor, blood and ashes splattered around them. The colorful flowers that filled the garden were replaced by a harsh, golden glow. The golden flames that took all of it away were that of legend, but Mari knew exactly where they came from.

 

It was the work of a dragon.

 

Mari crawls towards her parents, coughing and wheezing from smoke filling in her lungs, hoping they were still alive. She calls both of their names out, each push made her lose more and more energy to go on.

 

Miraculously, Mari’s mother opens her eyes. “Ah! Thank goodness, mother. You’re ali-”

 

“Mari-chan, we don’t have much time left. Soon, both your father and I are going to be killed by the dragon’s next fireblast.”

 

“I-I can still save you! I’ll call over my horse right now and we’ll flee from here!”

 

Mari’s mother cups her cheek, “Save yourself. It was our mistake for trying to unite the kingdom’s people without the dragon’s permission. You still have a chance of being spared.”

 

“But… I…”

 

An ear-piercing roar makes Mari cover her ears and scream. Mari’s mother removes her own crown and hands it to her. “Mari, please live on for us.”

 

With great hesitation and grief, Mari gets up and runs back to her horse to flee from the garden. From behind her, the bright blast of fire creates a shadow on the floor, startles her horse, and throws Mari off balance. She lands on the floor with a thud as her runs off into the forest. Turning to the gardens, Mari could only see the shadow of the dragon leaving the scene in a rush. The only color she saw from the gardens now was golden and black.

 

Mari swears with her blood, sweat, and tears that she would make this elven kingdom a place where everyone can coexist with each other.

 

* * *

 

**_200 years before present._ **

 

After all her restless efforts, Mari did it.

 

It was a rough process and everything wasn’t set in stone just yet, but it was a step forward to her dream.

 

Looking outside her castle’s balcony, Mari couldn’t help but grin when she saw species of all kinds walking on the streets of what once was an elf only kingdom. From humans, elves, anthromorphs, and hybrids, they all went about their daily lives without hostility. She even changed the name of the Ohara Kingdom to Uranohoshi to erase any trace of the elven-only society.

 

Despite Mari’s happiness, there was a sense of loneliness that she’d never been able to fill. Like a dark shadow she could never run from, and it plagued her mind knowing that she’d never found solace in herself after being alive for 200 years.

 

No one could blame Mari’s own unwillingness to interact with others beyond her rule. For the first half of her reign, her advisors had no trust in her due to her youth and ended up using her like a puppet. It wasn’t until Mari’s appearance matured that she was able to take hold of her own power and fired all of her advisors. She felt all the weight of their pressure lift off her when she’d done it. Since then, Mari had single-handedly ruled her kingdom without any complaints.

 

The door to balcony opens and Mari turns to the sound in annoyance. Showing her emotions would be unprofessional though, so she greets them with a cheerful smile. “What is it?”

 

The servant bows, “There has been word of an assassin infiltrating Uranohoshi with the intention of killing you.

 

“Oh?” Mari hums, it’s been a while since someone has boldly declared to kill her. This assassin was either incredibly powerful or incredibly stupid. “Do you know what the assassin’s handle is?”

 

“They go by the name of ‘Fallen Angel Yohane’.”

 

Mari’s heard of that notorious lunatic before. In stories she’d heard as a child, Yohane once was a human that delved in the dark arts and necromancy, but a mistake in her experiments turned her into a human crow hybrid. Because of this, she possessed the ability to resurrect herself through her crows and sprouted wings dark as the night. Yohane was truly an immortal genius.

 

Mari chuckles to herself, finding humor in how she genuinely wanted to meet her. It would be interesting to talk to an immortal, there was so much she wanted to ask her. Does it hurt knowing all the friends you make die before you do? How do you pass the time after you’ve done everything you wanted to achieve? Do you lose your value in life because you cannot die?

 

She nearly forgets that the servant was still in the room until he coughs, “Empress Mari, from your reaction, should this situation be disregarded?”

 

Mari waves her hand dismissively, “No, of course not. I was just wondering if being immortal made you wise or insane.”

 

* * *

 

The sound of a bird’s feathers at midnight forces Mari to lift her head from the pile of scrolls paperwork she had to fill. Some of the scrolls drop and roll onto the floor, but she pays them no mind. She looks at the windows, knowing she’d shut and locked them tightly before she sat down.

 

There was one window open in the corner of her bedroom. The moonlight that entered through casted shadows on the black feathers floating to the floor.

 

She was here.

 

Stepping out of the shadows, Mari sees a figure emerge with dark wings and talons. Darkness covered the crows around the immortal, but she could tell they were there from the glowing red eyes surrounding her. Mari was surprised to see her form resembled the young girl she used to be, despite her age. She slowly starts picking up the scrolls that rolled away from her desk.

 

“I’m glad you aren’t surprised to see me.”

 

“A personal visit from an immortal isn’t exactly something I can miss, Yohane-san.”

 

“Then you also know why I’m here. For someone about to face death, your spirits sure are high.”

 

Mari gets up from her chair and folds the remaining scrolls neatly on her bed. “Mind if we take this outside? I’d hate for anything in this room to be knocked out of place. It might be messy but it’s organized the way I want it.”

 

Yohane raises an eyebrow, amused (and slightly irritated) by how calm Mari was. Out of spite, she knocks over a stack of books left on her window table. “Whoops.”

 

Mari clicks her tongue and takes a step towards Yohane, disappearing into a blur of yellow and throwing a kick that sends her flying out of the open window. Yohane takes a second to process what happened. She’d never seen anyone use hand to hand combat with that frightening amount of speed before. Her crows catch her before she fell any further and regained her balance using her wings.

 

“What… what _are_ you?”

 

She was quite far from the window of Mari’s room, but even at this distance she could see Mari sitting at the edge and smugly smiling. “I am Ohara Mari. Ruler of Uranohoshi Kingdom, a master of spatiomancy and the last descendant of the royal elf blood lineage.”

 

“Everything makes sense now.” Yohane understood how Mari moved so quickly now that she’d mentioned her spatiomancer powers. “You were able to reform and control objects with your will, you used that to your advantage by modifying your own body size to gain speed!”

 

“Ding ding ding, you are correct!”

 

Taking a pouch full of titanium armory she’d adjusted to pocket sized fit, Mari dives headfirst out of the castle and into the air. She sends one of the weapons out, a sizeable axe, and increases its size until she could stand on it. The axe glows a bright yellow due to Mari’s magic and floats to Yohane’s level.

 

Mari’s smile stays on her face the entire time, it’s been a while since she’d been able to enter into a decent fight. “What’s the matter? Is a mid air fight too strenuous on your old body?”

 

Yohane clickes her tongue at Mari’s mockery of her immortality. “Tch, now you’re really starting to piss me off. Crows, get her!”

 

The swarm of crows start to chase after Mari, who steered away from their attacks on her axe. It sliced dozens of them open, staining Mari’s white clothes with black blood. Before long, the hundreds of crows that were around Yohane decreased to only a handful. She uses this opportunity to land a strike in the middle of Yohane’s chest. It causes black blood to ooze out of her. The glare on the immortal’s face gave Mari the most satisfaction she’d had in these last hundred of years. “Do you admit your defeat yet?”

 

“It’s not over yet. It’s only just begun.”

 

Bones, flesh, and feathers from birds Mari sliced begin to ascend as Yohane lifts her hands. She puts her hands together with a resounding clap, making these remains reshape themselves back into crows. Several of the unharmed crows merge into her, which healed the large wound. Mari never knew how impressive necromancy was until she witnessed the scene in front of her.

 

Mari makes several attempts to kill her by piercing her heart, cutting her head off, slicing her body into pieces; but as expected by an immortal, none of them worked. She was already bruised and battered while Yohane flew around uninjured.

 

Uneasy adrenaline replaced Mari’s initial excitement. Fighting them would be useless because it would drain her stamina, she had to find another way to end this battle, soon. She looked around hoping it would give her some ideas, it was futile to move to the ground, the castle was too far away, and her pouch had nothing useful. _Something, there had to be something…!_

 

Mari looks up at the moon and the clouds above. An idea grows from within her immediately.

 

Several crows fly past her and Mari nearly stumbles from being thrown off balance. She’s brought back to her thoughts when she sees the swarm around her. _I guess it’s now or never._

 

Mari grips the handle of the large axe with her hands and legs, turning it up to the sky and making a beeline for the clouds. Yohane catches notice of this and chases her upwards with her crows. “You can’t run from me, Mari-san!”

 

Gripping the axe with her legs, Mari uses her free hands to open the pouch and dumps everything into her palms. Mari squeezes them together until it melds into a titanium cube, perfecting its shape as she ascends even higher into the atmosphere. At this point, the lack of oxygen made it difficult for her to breathe- but she had to commit to this or her plan wouldn’t work. She sees Yohane catching up to her.

 

“Ah, how boring. I thought you were smarter than this. This altitude won’t last you very long, you’ll just die of suffocation.”

 

Mari lets out a tired chuckle, “Oh, will it? Wouldn’t that be unsatisfying for you? Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s still better than dying from your senile hands.”

 

Yohane shouts and flies towards her ready to kill, she’d taken the bait.

 

Mari throws the titanium cube towards her and a bright yellow light blinds Yohane. The cube expands and creates a floating cage around Yohane. “Got you.”

 

Yohane rattles the cage and tries to destroy it, but to no avail. She steps back and makes an attempt to stab herself, she bleeds. A moment passes by while continues bleeding, then it finally hits her. Yohane looks around her- none of her birds were able to fly at this level. “Shit… You did this on purpose didn’t you?!”

 

“Yes, and I’m proud my theory worked.” Mari sits on her axe and sighs in relief, she could see her own breath. “You thought I wouldn’t notice the reason why those birds hovered around you so closely?”

 

Her only response was a grumble.

 

Both of them sit in silence for some time, Mari begins to watch Yohane intensely as she rests. Nearly ten minutes later Mari sneezes and Yohane repeatedly hits the titanium bars. “Why aren’t you killing me? You’re supposed to kill me now!”

 

Mari shakes her head, “No, I want to talk to you.”

 

Yohane slumps down in her cage, she wore an expression of confusion. “Eh…?”

 

Mari hums and looks at the stars, “Do you think being immortal made you wise or insane? Have you found the true meaning of life after all these years?”

 

“What… what are you talking about…?

 

“Look Yohane, I want you to become my advisor. I will show you what it means to live again if you help me achieve my goal.”

 

Apprehension replaces the confusion on Yohane’s face. “What would that goal be?”

 

Mari’s lips can’t help but curl up in a smile.

 

“Pure unity.”

 

* * *

 

**_3 years before present._ **

 

Mari’s accomplishments brought a new era of thinking, many other kingdoms also started following her example and opened the gates for other species. Her kingdom’s popularity rose and expand its territory by tenfold. Because of this, she knew she had to strengthen the kingdom’s rule so into wouldn’t turn chaotic.

 

That was why she had personally invited the five individuals in front of her now.

 

Sitting on her throne, she glanced at each of the faces kneeling before her. “There’s no need to be so formal, you all can raise your heads and sit.” She snaps her fingers, sending five chairs behind each person.

 

The five of them raised their heads in a similar fashion. She glances at each of their faces, listing out the reasons why she’d chose each individual in her thoughts.

 

Tsushima Yoshiko, the immortal necromancer that could provide her with information lost to history. Sakurauchi Riko, an elemental alchemist that’s traveled through many kingdoms in search for forbidden potions and rituals. Kunikida Hanamaru, a half common blood elf gifted in teleportation. Kurosawa Dia, a fearful pyromancer and heir to the Kurosawa clan. Matsuura Kanan, a natural born military commander who sailed the seas to conquer and defeat pirates.

 

Yoshiko, Riko, Hanamaru, Dia, Kanan. It was a team of ultimates that could bring down a kingdom if she wished so. Mari felt hope grow inside her, she could almost feel her parents satisfaction in her efforts. She takes a deep breath to calm herself from her initial excitement before she starts speaking.

 

“I’m sure you all know why you’ve been summoned before me today. In one way or another, the five of you are beneficial to unifying the kingdoms to separate the barriers our species have with one another. This will be a daunting task that’ll take more than even my lifetime to complete, but our struggles have rewards that are greater than any treasure on this earth.”

 

Out of all four of their reactions, only the bright gleam of Kanan’s grin makes Mari’s heart leap. It was a weird feeling, considering she’d known Kanan since she was child- and was the youngest out of the group of demi-immortals. Kanan and Riko were the only humans in the unit of elves and demons, a decision Mari made because of their impressive abilities and youth. She wanted to ensure she had connections with life with a shorter amount of time than hers, just so she wouldn’t lose herself.

 

A feeling of elation washes over her and it was as if all her worries had vanished in an instant. Mari takes a deep breath in.

 

“It’s time for this meeting to begin.”

 

* * *

 

“Man, that meeting packed a punch! I can’t believe you’d be able to hold a conference that long without any of your usual, cheesy jokes.”

 

Mari chuckles, “Well, I’m flattered. I’m glad to see you're holding up as well as Dia-chan over there.”

 

“You’re hundreds of years older than us, yet you’re the most immature.”

 

“Hey, it’s not my fault I’m a living contradiction.”

 

Kanan brought her arms around her two best friends and gave them a big hug (almost suffocating Dia).

 

Three voices of laughter echoed through the room, it’s been a while since she’d spoken to Kanan and Dia like this. They were the only two that disregarded her age and treated her for who she truly was: a teenager. “I’m really excited this plan’s finally starting. It’s about time we show these dragons who’s the boss!”

 

Dia sighs, but Mari can tell she’s trying to conceal her excitement. “I hope we could. But for now, I’ll have to head back to the Kurosawa clan. I need to train Ruby to harness her powers, I’m afraid my poor sister already has too much for herself to control by herself.”

 

Mari finds it strangely fitting when she envisions a tiny Ruby being able to set off a house fire just from her sneeze, but she doesn’t mention it. “Okay, good luck with everything Dia! Say hello to Ruby-chan for me.”

 

“I will.” Dia gives them a smile and shuts the door, leaving Kanan and Mari alone. Kanan stretches and hugs Mari from behind. “I’ve been waiting for this. I’d fight a thousand battles if it meant being with you for one day, Mari.”

Mari wanted Kanan to fight alongside her. She’d never say it out loud because it’d selfish of her, but she would be nothing if she hadn’t followed her desires after all these centuries.

 

A blush spreads on Mari’s cheeks and she pats Kanan’s head softly. “I love you too, Kanan.”

 

Kanan lays her head on Mari’s neck, resting peacefully. “God, I can’t wait till we defeat those dragons. With them gone we wouldn’t have to keep our relationship a secret from the rest of the world.”

 

Mari’s cheerfulness subsides as she thinks about what Kanan said. She faces away from Kanan and looks out the window instead, noting how beautiful the sky looked when the sun was setting. “Do you think we’ll be truly happy if we defeat them?”

 

Kanan covers her eyes to ease her worries, “Of course it would. Why wouldn’t it? We feel the same way. I know I’d definitely be a lot happier knowing my parents were avenged, then all of my struggles being raised as an orphan would be worth it.”

 

Mari takes away Kanan’s hands to look at her, her violet eyes could compare to that of the sunset right outside her window. “Kanan. Stay safe on those missions, okay?”

 

“Of course I will.” Kanan kisses Mari. She can almost feel her heart beat out of her chest. “I’ll come back and kick some dragon butt, I promise you that.”

* * *

 

**_6 months before present._ **

 

There was an uncertainty in the cold that made Mari’s body chill with anxiety. She couldn’t see the kingdom from her balcony with the fog covering the town. As the months grew longer, Mari’s doubt and guilt began to suffocate her from within. The unit formed with Kanan, Dia, Hanamaru, Yoshiko, and Riko have been successful in finding clues of where the dragons are thus far; but they’ve never faced a dragon head to head. No one’s ever survived an encounter with one, so it was difficult to train them for battle. Time would only tell of what outcome one battle would lead to-

 

Speak of the devil. A servant knocks on Mari’s door loudly, shouting about the unit’s arrival from the mountains north of the kingdom. The servant leads from the castle and down to the kingdom’s docks. Many onlookers gather with mournful expressions and some even carried white flowers to the ship. Upon seeing the empress, they make way to let her go to the ship the unit traveled in for their last mission. She finds Hanamaru bandaged and carrying a vial, the half-elf grimaces when she sees Mari.

 

“Oh… hey Mari-san.”

 

“Where are the others?”  
  
“They’re in the ship’s cabin. But I advise against you going there at the moment.”

 

“Why are you not stopping me then?”  
  
“I don’t think it’s right to, but Yoshiko requested me to tell you this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

 

Mari nods hesitantly and heads to the cabin. She opens the door and finds Yoshiko and Dia hovering their hands over something on the table, arguing loudly- then she notices Riko was frantically looking through her alchemy books, stones, potions, and powders. A potion she held dropped to the floor when she saw Mari at the door.

 

“Mari, you can’t be here.”

 

Yoshiko and Dia stop yelling and immediately turned towards her. Mari could make out Kanan from behind them lying on the table, as still as a corpse.

 

* * *

 

The day before Kanan’s funeral, Mari orders the disbandment of the unit and puts a halt on all their missions. Kanan’s death is kept a secret between them, and she’s announced missing ever since that day.

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry we couldn’t save her. We tried everything.”

 

Mari meets Dia and Yoshiko’s gaze. She knew it wasn’t their fault, especially when facing a dragon.  But she still couldn’t help feeling a pang of bitterness and grief in her heart. “Please… Just leave me alone. I need some time to think.”

 

“I understand, if you need us, you know where to find us. Kanan also wanted me to give this to you before she died. Give it a read when you’re ready.” Dia places a cup of lemon tea with the letter beside her and leaves with Yoshiko.

 

It could have been hours, or maybe even days. Mari doesn’t know how much time she’d spent in the funeral room next to Kanan’s coffin, spent just… reminiscing. Maybe if she stopped Kanan from going on her mission, or maybe if she’d never recruited Kanan to become general, or even maybe never _met_ her; she’d still be alive.

 

She’s been staring at the letter in her hands, unsure of whether to unravel it or to just place it in the coffin with her. Mari grips it tightly, she knew she should read it if that was Kanan’s dying wish.

 

_For my beloved,_

_If this letter reaches you, Mari, it means I’ve died. It pains me to know that I’ll never be able to see your lovely smile again. These past couple of years have been exciting, hasn’t it? I never would have thought I’d be able to stand against a dragon. When my parents were killed by dragons, I always thought no one would understand the cruelty the gods we worshipped possessed._

_All until I met you._

_I’ve fallen in love with your cheerful and inspiring nature. You’ve been there for me when I needed it the most, and since then I’ve done the same. You’ve shown me how to love myself and others, without it all I’d be filled with is hatred. I wanted to follow your lead and fight for the peace of all nine kingdoms, I will continue doing so even in death. Please don’t grieve over my death when you have so much more to strive for. I will be forever indebted to you for showing me how to live once more._

_May we meet again,_

_Matsuura, Kanan_

 

Drops of tears stain the letter. Mari weakly walks towards Kanan’s corpse, holding her hand. Her breath became shaky and she feels a lump in her throat, she clutches her chest. “Kanan… _Kanan…_!”

 

A glimmer catches Mari’s attention and she notices something had fallen out from the envelope the letter came from. It was an orange scale as large as a thumb and a note taped on its side. She opened it and wiped her tears away to read it.

 

_P.S. I managed to tear this off a dragon’s leg during battle, it seems to glow around the dragon’s presence. A dragon’s weakness is lightning. Consider this as my last gift to you, Mari._

 

Mari looks at the faded scale and clutches it in her arms. Her heart tells her to crush it, but she knew this gift was something not to be destroyed in vain. She places it in her pocket and reads the letter a second time.

 

Something in her subconscious was trying to let itself out- a childhood memory. “… showing me how to live once more.” An image appears in her mind of her mother. Like the flipping a switch, Mari remembers.

 

“Even half a dragon’s heart alone can bring back the dead.”

 

* * *

 

Mari carried the orange scale in her palms as she walked on the steep terrain of the mountains in the Northern region. It glowed faintly, indicating the presence of its owner within the area. Hanamaru was kind enough to teleport her there without any questions, even packing her a nice lunch before sending her off. Mari had a capsule of the Kurosawa clan’s flame and Kazuno clan’s ice, enough for her to create and manipulate lightning.

 

She was nearing the top of the mountain where the dragon was supposed to be. There had been no signs of life other than the plants and trees in the area, which made it feel eerily peaceful. Eyeing the two capsules, Mari lets out a heavy sigh. “What am I even doing here… ?”

 

“Yeah, what _are_ you doing here?

 

Mari flinches in surprise, seeing a young girl that looks her age with orange hair and blue eyes staring at her. The girl smiles and eats a piece of bread from her basket, “Don’t worry! I’m not here to harm you unless you harm me first. I’ve never seen you around before, are you lost?”

 

“No, not really. But it’s dangerous here, so you should go back home.”

 

“What’s dangerous about it?” The girl takes another bread out of her basket and bites into it nonchalantly. Mari sighs and assumes the girl was following her out of curiosity.

 

As they make it to the top of the mountain, they reach a cave big enough to hold a dragon. The inside of the cave was decorated with crystals and golden feathers. She swears she sees breadcrumbs lying on the floor, but it was hard to tell from the lack of light. Mari turns back around to talk to the girl quietly observing her while eating more bread. “Look, there’s a dangerous entity that lives here and you might die if you encounter it!”

 

“Hmm? But I live here.”

 

The words that escaped from her mouth made Mari freeze in her tracks.

 

“Y… You’re joking… right?” Mari looks at the scale she’d been clutching in her hands, she was too busy walking up the mountain and into the cave to realize that it was glowing the entire time.

 

The girl finishes her piece of bread and walks up to her, blue eyes faintly glowing. “If you still want to live, I suggest you head back now. It’s rude of strangers to trespass into another one’s home, you know.”

 

Mari grips the scale tightly, she can hear a resounding cracking noise in her hands. “No. I have unfinished business with you… monster. You took everything from me, it’s time you pay your price.”

 

The girl turns to her with a melancholic look and places her bread basket in a tree. “Everything we do is with good reason, we’re trying to protect you.”

 

“LIKE HELL YOU ARE!” Mari rushes forth and pierces her arm into the girl’s shoulder. All Mari can feel is burning rage for everything they destroyed in her life. Flashbacks of her parents burning in the garden fire and Kanan’s lifeless body filled her mind’s eye, but she knew she had to contain her own grief. “You’ll never be anything more than a force of despair. I’ll defeat you and steal your heart for vengeance over K-” Mari gasps when the girl pulls out her arm and sends her smashing into the cave’s wall.

 

“Let’s strike a deal then, shall we?”

 

Mari groans as she recovers from the shock, “Huh…?”

 

The girl’s eyes start glowing and all parts of her body turn into a blinding blue light. Her form transforms into the massive size of a dragon. Her glowing orange scales and golden feathers that illuminate the cave’s crystal surface left Mari in awe mixed with fear.

 

“If I win, you will die. But if you win, you can have it.”

 

The dragon’s glowing eyes met with Mari’s. She opened the two capsules, ready to strike with as much lightning power as she could.

 

“It’s a deal.”

 

* * *

 

Rain washed the blood from Mari’s weapons and armor. There were grazes, cuts, and burns all over her body- she was bleeding everywhere. She’s sure she’s lost an arm (which Yoshiko could reattach later, she hopes). Mari had never been damaged this badly before, she couldn’t even move a muscle as she lay on the floor. Even so…

 

She chuckled.

 

Mari looks towards the dragon, who’d reverted back into her human state. Her golden blood was being washed off by the rain as well. Most of her blood came from the chest, where Mari initially tried to rip her heart out before being blasted by a wave of fire. The heart was big enough to fit in both of their hands: one half in the dragon’s hand and another half in Mari’s. It was still pulsing.

 

“Kousaka Honoka.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

“At least remember my name since you’ve fought me.”

 

“I can’t guarantee that.”

 

The girl pouts, “Aww, that sucks… But anyways, before the deal is sealed, I want to ask one question for you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Why do you hate dragons so much?”

 

Mari scoffs, “Why I hate you? You’ve killed all those I love. You’ve divided many species and won’t allow them to live together in harmony. You leave destruction in your path wherever you go. Is _that_ enough of a reason?”

 

Honoka hums, “Anyone can do that. If it were up to you, do you think a cat and a fish could live together without it being eaten? Could a flame still be a flame if water is placed on it? Tell me if it can, go on.”

 

“It… can’t. But why are you asking me this?”

 

“No reason. If you don’t get it then you don’t get it. Anyways, I can’t back down from a bet. You’re free to take it- my heart, that is.”

 

Mari clenches the part of Honoka’s heart. “How… how are you so calm about this? If I take your heart, that’d mean you’d die, and you’re okay with that?!”

 

“I’m not, I’m about as scared as you are. But the determination in your eyes tells me you’re going to change things for the better in this world, at least I hope so.”

 

Nothing except the sound of raindrops echoed through her ears.

 

“… Forgive me.”

 

Mari wrenches half of the dragon’s heart from her fingers and she lets out a painful scream that echoes through the mountains, enough to make birds fly from the trees they perched in. Honoka falls limp after a few minutes and Mari sits up to stare at half the heart she had taken. The heart pulsed defiantly against death.

 

Mari’s hand shook as she tried to process this fact, her breath becoming ragged. “W-wait a minute, if this is still alive then-” She stares at the second half the unconscious dragon was holding. With enough force, she could punch the heart and destroy it once and for all. But then again, she could place it back in the dragon’s chest and allow her to live.

 

_Kill her or spare her?_

 

* * *

 

Hanamaru placed a bookmark in the novel she was reading and placed it down in her lap. She looks over at the summoning circle she’d created the empress. It’s been a couple of hours since she’d sent her off, and honestly, she was racked with worry. Hanamaru held great pity in Mari’s current situation and thought allowing her to avenge Kanan’s death would be the best way to cheer her up. However, after facing a dragon herself, she wasn’t certain Mari could hold her own against one…

 

Hanamaru flinches and nearly drops her book when she hears Mari’s voice loud and clear with telepathy. Taking out her potions and crumbling a burned feather into the mix, she recites the chant that brought Mari back effortlessly.

 

Except she wasn’t alone.

 

Drenched from rain and blood, Mari leaned against an unconcious girl with an exhausted expression on her face. The girl’s clothes had golden stains that Hanamaru curiously eyed at, but didn’t have the courage to question. Mari wraps the girl’s arm around Hanamaru’s shoulder. A chill goes down Hanamaru’s spine when she realizes Mari’s own limb was missing.

 

“Mari-san, what happened zura?”

 

“I encountered the dragon and fought it.”

 

“Did you win zura?”

 

“I… I didn’t.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that zura.”

 

“It’s alright. Also, on my way back I rescued this girl from the dragon. Hanamaru-chan, please take this girl to the nearest orphanage you can find. She said she didn’t have parents.”

 

“Oh, I see. I’ll take a note of that then and make sure she gets there safely. Did she give you her name zura?”

 

Hanamaru notices Mari was staring at a girl with peculiar look. She couldn’t discern what emotion Mari was feeling right now.  

 

“Her name is Kousaka Honoka.”

 

_1 month before present._

 

_Something in my gut tells me this is the work of a dragon, there’s no mistaking the color of the flames and the size of the destruction._

 

 _With all due respect,_ _  
_ _Watanabe, You_

 

Mari almost drops the paper as she reads You’s last sentence. A small but audible gasp escapes her.

 

_Oh no._

* * *

 

**_1 week before present._ **

 

“You’re the one who stole it.”

 

Mari’s mouth went dry, it took all her will to say something back. “I didn’t steal it, I _won_ it.” Her own lips curve up into a smile but she didn’t feel any happiness from her self-reassurance. _What was there not to understand? Yoshiko has definitely lost loved ones due to her immortality. Yoshiko should be the one that understands why she’s doing this-_

 

Suddenly, Yoshiko was grabbing her by her collar and she can’t even say a full sentence before she lands a punch.

 

“YOU’RE RISKING THE LIVES OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR KINGDOM JUST FOR HER. OF COURSE I WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND!”  
  
The sentence felt like a cold slap of ice to Mari’s face. Something in her snaps and she finds herself kicking Yoshiko into a wall. _What am I doing…?_

 

“I know I’ve been your advisor for two centuries now, but I still can't believe what you've done. Why would you do this? Have you gone insane?”

 

“It was a promise. I promised to rule this kingdom with her, to create a new world where different species can coexist and love each other.”

 

“But that didn’t mean you had to go out of your way to bring her back from the dead, let alone make her immortal. Your kingdom, the one your lineage took so long to create, will be gone because you decided to take down a dragon!”

 

Mari doesn’t even know what she’s spouting anymore, but she rushes towards Yoshiko and grips her wings with the amount of strength ready to break it. Before she could, Yoshiko vanishes without a trace with Hanamaru’s help. Mari stands there, holding nothing. A moment passes by and her legs go weak, she collapses on the floor.

 

_Have I gone insane…? Have I…? No, this is justified. I can’t let myself go astray by what she’s saying. I know this for a fact- I’m doing the right thing! I’m doing this for her, I’m doing this… I have to- I have no choice. When the dragons are defeated, there will be no more sadness, no more hatred, no more grief. I’m going to save this kingdom and everyone will be happy._

 

Mari touches the bruise forming on her face from Yoshiko’s punch.

 

It hurts.

* * *

 

**_2 days before present._ **

 

It takes an entire day for You and Riko to go out of their rooms. Sarah and Dia were still undergoing recovery and the two dragons (in their human form) were kept under tight supervision. The pair told Mari how they were able to capture the dragons and take them back to the castle. From how they found their hiding place, to what they spoke about in the cabin, the names of the dragons- all of it.

 

In return Mari explained why the border was set up: Yoshiko’s found out that the thief of the dragon’s heart resided within the Seisen Kingdom. Ruby, Leah, Hanamaru, and herself have headed to the kingdom to investigate. For extra precaution, Mari brought up the border to make sure the Seisen Kingdom couldn’t place any attacks on them, especially those revolving attacks of dragons.

 

All of it was a lie, but it had to suffice… right?

 

Two days later, Mari is awoken in the middle of the night by a loud knock at her door. It came from You. “Empress Mari, the dragons have woken up.”

 

“Good, bring them to me.”

 

_Present._

 

“Ohara Mari, was it?”

 

Mari eyes both dragons curiously. Maki and Eli were in front of her, standing at the edge of her room’s balcony. A frown was the only thing she could muster at the two dragons- hopefully it was too dark outside for the two to notice it.

 

“So you two are finally awake.”

 

Maki’s glare was frightening under the moonlight. Eli growls, “There’s no way we can sleep when you’re in our sights. Don’t you dare spout about a negotiation between us, I can sense Honoka’s presence here- even if it’s a lingering feeling.”

 

 _So they could feel it, huh._ Mari thinks to herself, impressed by the heightened senses of the duo. “Whatever your gut is telling you is false, I’ve never heard of that name in my life.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

Eli strikes at her neck and brings it up, making Mari struggle for air. She claws at the dragons hands. Mari knew the only thing that could stop them would be lightning, but used all of it up in her battle with Honoka.

 

Suddenly, a blur of indigo blue lunges towards Eli and punches her face with enough force to send her flying from the balcony back into the room. It takes a second for the rapid blur to take back its usual shape. Mari gasps when she sees the figure’s long, indigo ponytail. Her violet eyes were replaced with an fiery orange glow that matched the heart protruding from her chest.

 

“KANAN DON’T!”

 

Kanan lifts her arms and light spews from them, wrapping around the two dragons. Eli and Maki clutch their heads, screaming in pain. Mari tries to snap Kanan back into her senses by punching her, but she doesn’t even move an inch.

 

Kanan slowly turns towards her, her eyes lifeless as ever.

 

“Isn’t this what you wanted, master?”

 

“Kanan…”

 

Mari realized what she’d done wasn’t bring back the love of her life.

 

She turned Kanan into her slave.

 

Mari’s legs give in under her and she feels bile rising up her throat. She holds her hand over her mouth and gulps shakily. “No… This isn’t what I wanted. This isn’t it…!”

 

Kanan walks towards her and cups her cheek. Everything felt cold. How did she not realize how cold it was before then? Was this the monster she’d created? Kanan had no response for her thoughts, she only gave Mari a hug. It felt suffocating.  “Don’t worry, master. Everything will be alright.”

 

Mari sobbed silently as she hugged Kanan. This twisted perversion of love was too much for her to handle. All she wanted to do was apologize to the real Kanan over and over and over-

 

“If it helps end your sadness, I can pretend to be the one you used to love.”

 

“Wh-what…?”

 

Taking her strands of unkempt hair, Kanan brings them to the back of her head and ties it with her powers. The ponytail was wrapped with dragon scales instead of a real hair tie. “She looked like this, right?”

 

Mari hated herself for having the urge to cup her face and kiss her. She repressed it and only looked down at her trembling hands. “Yes… She looked just like that.”

 

_I’m filthy._

 

Kanan lifts her head up and kisses her forehead. Kanan covers Mari’s eyes to stop her from crying, but she only feels blinded- caught in her trap, unable to escape. “I will make all your wishes come true, so please smile.”

 

Kanan’s soothing voice was all it took for Mari to fall under her spell.

  



End file.
